By Emem Idio, Yenagoa 

Leaders across various strata in the society have been implored to embrace the change that comes with digitalization to achieve their organisational goals and visions.

An IT Project Manager and Vice President of Volunteers at Project Management Institute, Metro Saint Louis, USA, Obafunsho Oyinlola stated this in a chat with newsmen, recently.

According to the IT expert, it is expedient that leaders understands digital technologies well enough to make informed decisions, pointing out that without a clear direction, digital efforts can become scattered and ineffective. 

She noted that leaders who resist change, withhold innovation and not investing enough in digital initiatives or maintaining old organizational silos can also limit progress of their organization.

Oyinlola said: “It is very important for project managers and leaders to have a clear vision of where they want to take the organization digitally. They should be able to communicate this vision effectively and create a strategy that aligns with the company’s goals.

“Good leadership impacts the success of digitalization, and I believe it’s crucial. Of a truth, the right kind of leadership can make or break a digital transformation effort.It’ is also important for leaders to manage the changes that come with digitalization, as humans are generally scared of change, or rather most humans are.”

She further highlighted that leaders need to understand digital technologies well enough to make informed decisions.

“They should encourage teamwork across different departments and empower their team members to innovate. It’s also crucial that they keep the customer in mind throughout the digitalization process.

On the flip side, poor leadership can really hold back digitalization,” she said 

On the pitfalls to watch out for, Oyinlola said: “There are so many pitfalls to watch out for when going digital, depending on your industry. For banks, healthcare providers, or manufacturers, some common ones include:

“Not paying enough attention to cybersecurity, struggling to integrate new digital solutions with old systems, not training employees properly on new digital tools, ignoring regulations in highly regulated industries, losing the human touch in customer interactions, and underestimating how much digitalization can change company culture..”

“It won’t take over human roles but rather it can help with some roles while we as humans focus on other roles and skills. The key is to use digitalization to our advantage, not to run from it or be scared of it. If only you can train your team and systems to your benefit and way of working. The more you use digital tools, the more they begin to respond and work the way you want them to. All you have to do is know how to use them to your own advantage.

“Remember, it’s important that you have an idea of what you’re trying to achieve with digitalization. Don’t forget, you’re training your organization to work in a new way, and the more you practice, the better the results get,” she stated.