Upskilling Leaders for Digital Transformation: A Guide for L&D Professionals

From needs analysis to learning strategy, curriculum development, live facilitation, learning administration, and leader development, learning and development (L&D) departments oversee priorities critical to long-term organizational success. Within the leader development domain, it is vital that L&D professionals not simply train leaders but intentionally upskill them with competencies to thrive as digital transformation continues to shift the how, why, when, and where of work.

Whether through executive development, management development, or emerging leader development, organizations benefit from upskilling leaders across all levels with competencies to thrive amid ongoing digital transformation—this year and beyond. Here are seven competencies to help leaders succeed in digital transformation.

Critical Thinking in a Digital Era

Yes, the digital era is full of technologies and tools that can make work much more straightforward. However, decisions, situations, and challenges become more complex, layered, and nuanced. Leaders must retain and strengthen their critical thinking abilities as they navigate digital transformation.

Digital Fluency to Work

Do you remember when the office printer was the most complicated piece of technology in the building? Well, gone are the days that printer magicians can solve all the problems! Leaders must be proficient in using technologies to work effectively and manage efficiently. Though the exact tech stack at every organization varies, each leader must take responsibility for maintaining their digital fluency to contribute positively.

Continuous Digital Learning

Whether our leaders lead frontline workers, operators, or billable consultants, the time tug between working and learning persists. Let’s welcome an extra layer to this time struggle—technology! Leaders must manage their learning across initiatives internal to the organization, for their industry, for their management skills, and now for their technology capabilities.

Strategic Technology Alignment

A leader’s recommendations for sunsetting a technology or onboarding a technology directly and indirectly affect the organization. Leaders must understand the importance of aligning technology investments alongside the organizational strategy—allowing time and resources for systematic adoption and employee training.

Adaptability and Resilience

Technology continues to evolve, innovate, and sometimes merely iterate work. Leaders must practice adaptability and resilience within these cycles of technology emergence, differentiation, and adoption. They must adjust to new circumstances or challenges by proactively learning new skills, being open to feedback, and being willing to shift decisions. Though the future is uncertain, the importance of adaptability and resilience is not.

Digital Collaboration

Collaboration does not simply happen because two or more people are together—physically or digitally! Leaders embracing digital transformation provide tools and utilize organizational technologies to achieve shared success through digital collaboration. Leaders integrate digital collaboration into the core of how their team operates and how processes are established and iterated.

Team Connectivity

In the digital era, responding to an email or having a video conference call does not equate to team connectivity. Leaders must recognize the importance in cultivating team connectivity in digital and virtual environments—not just in-person environments. Leaders must create cultures and establish norms to foster team trust and transparency. Leaders understand that team connectivity relies on strong relationships, psychological safety, and alignment throughout a team’s work experience.

Now Is the Time

As you solidify your organization’s leader development strategy for the year ahead, consider ways to infuse these competencies into the learning journeys offered to leaders. Though each leader’s roles and responsibilities differ based on role, organization, and industry, the importance of upskilling their competencies is universal. Now is the time to prepare leaders at all levels of your organization—from emerging leaders to managers to executives—with competencies to thrive amid ongoing digital transformation.

How might you integrate these competencies into your organization’s leader development strategy this year?