F E AT U R E
CCL
What is the state of digital leadership in your organisation?
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ith data and digital tools being the backbone of the economy today, digital transformation has become a national imperative for countries all across the globe, and Singapore is no exception. Singapore is currently ahead of many other countries in Southeast Asia, a lead that can be largely distilled down to three factors: the ease of conducting business, close collaboration between the government and industry, as well as an outside-in perspective that enables the citystate to learn quickly from others. Earlier this March, the Singapore government announced a new Digital Leaders Programme for companies that are more advanced in their digital journeys, to help equip them “with the capabilities and talent to accelerate their digital transformation journey”. This is testament to how Singapore is already thinking ahead, looking beyond equipping businesses with digital tools, to accelerate its digital talent development. With a clear vision to become the digital capital of Asia and a road map to get there, Singapore is well-positioned to thrive in a digital-first future. However, within the country, the rate of digital transformation is not even across businesses, with a study by UOB revealing that small enterprises are lagging behind their larger peers in digital transformation. To sustain its lead in digital transformation, Singapore will need to address these shortcomings. One key aspect: the capability of digital leaders in Singapore.
Building holistic digital leadership capabilities Until now, digital transformation efforts have been approached piecemeal or in a fragmented and uncoordinated manner. To build a holistic picture of what is really required for digital transformation, the Center for Creative
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Fig 1.1 Nine digital leadership roles
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2021
