Digital transformation and the mission of leaders

Therefore, the role of the head of an organization plays a significant part in the success or failure of the digital transformation effort in the agency where they act as the "Leaders". According to the regulations of the Prime Minister in Decision No. 749/QD-TTg approving the National Digital Transformation Program, ministries, sectors, and localities have been urgently constructing digital transformation plans to meet the objectives of the Decision No. 749.

Digital Transformation Forum, Green Transformation for Sustainable Development, organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Quang Ninh on September 2023

The current reality of digital transformation:

At present, many provinces, governmental agencies, and businesses have established steering committees for the Digital Transformation Program and have issued digital transformation plans. It is gratifying to note that the leadership of some of these agencies has recognized the importance of digital transformation for the socio-economic development process. They have assigned key leaders to participate in the steering committee, invited specialists and experts to join advisory boards, and sought support from technology and financial companies.

Many ministries, sectors, and localities have also actively implemented the construction and improvement of online public services. Some ministries and provinces have announced that 100% of public services have reached level 4, indicating the potential to achieve the goals of e-government and digital government.

However, the process of digital transformation of businesses is still slow, especially in the manufacturing and processing sectors. The main reason is that most manufacturing businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises, lacking the financial and human resources for digital transformation. They have not established digital databases for their operations, and they lack the support of technology and management experts. This significantly impacts the goals of the digital economy because the cornerstone of the digital economy is businesses that have undergone digital transformation.

In the field of digital society, perhaps the most pressing issues are digital transformation in education and healthcare. These are the two sectors with the largest impact on society's well-being, attracting significant human and financial resources. However, they are lagging behind in digital transformation, revealing weaknesses in the digital transformation of education and healthcare. Failure to timely complete the digital transformation may lead to a decrease in service quality and serious consequences.

However, according to some experts, many local digital transformation initiatives are still stuck in a predefined structure following the guidelines of Decision No. 749. Some objectives are set based on Decision No. 749 without taking into account the specific circumstances of each locality. Moreover, many regions have not yet presented innovative solutions for digital transformation based on a scientific assessment of their local potential and advantages. At the same time, they are still uncertain about which key areas need prioritized digital transformation.

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The Mission of "Leaders" in Digital Transformation:

It can be asserted that the role of the leader is always a crucial factor, sometimes a determining role in any revolution. The success of every revolution is closely tied to the role of the person at the helm, often referred to as a leader. Digital transformation is also a revolution and an intellectual one. Without a capable, intellectual leader and the gathering of the best individuals, the success of newly industrialized countries (NICs) like South Korea and Singapore,... cannot be achieved.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, at its core, which is digital transformation, requires a sufficiently long time to reach its great goals. This demands that leaders have a far-reaching vision, determination, and unwavering commitment to their objectives. If the next generation of leaders fails to continue the thinking and awareness of the previous generation, the digital transformation effort may be abandoned, and the country may fall behind the global 4th Industrial Revolution wave.

When it comes to the leader in digital transformation, there are four essential qualities required: The leader must have a vision and a clear understanding of the vital role of digital transformation in the development of the region or the country. This person needs to have a broad knowledge of digital transformation. They do not have to be a specialist with in-depth expertise in digital transformation, nor do they need to know every current technology in detail, but they should have a fundamental understanding of digital transformation. The leader must know what needs to be done to drive digital transformation in their area, where to start, and how to utilize their authority and resources.

The leader must concentrate power in their hands, along with the leadership team, to achieve the digital transformation goals in the region. If they do not have sufficient authority and the will to pursue these objectives, success is likely to be elusive.

The leader must know how to utilize people, gather the most dedicated individuals, and the best experts from their region or organization to construct the most scientific and feasible digital transformation program.

The leader must be willing to accept challenges and take risks. Digital transformation is a revolution, and the probability of success or failure is 50%. If we have determination, capable leadership, and resources, the chances of success are higher. However, no one can guarantee a 100% success rate. Therefore, the leader must embrace challenges and essentially serve as a political guarantor for those entrusted with implementing the local digital transformation initiative. To some extent, they may have to sacrifice their own political interests.

In our perception, the leader should hold the highest position in the political or administrative system of a region or organization. However, digital transformation is the most crucial aspect of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. No one can predict when we will complete the national digital transformation program. Therefore, it requires leadership to commit to this program for a sufficiently long period. However, within our current system, this presents a challenge as there are ongoing fluctuations in organization and personnel matters. Therefore, the concept of a leader in digital transformation may have to be understood more symbolically – the position of the leader rather than an individual.

Once we have chosen the right person and assigned the right task, the leader must trust the individuals they have selected and delegated responsibilities. To some extent, they must delegate authority to those responsible for major aspects of the digital transformation program. These individuals could be part of the government apparatus, or they may be experts invited or hired from domestic and international organizations to assist their region, sector, organization, unit, or business. They can only perform well when they are respected, entrusted with full authority, and provided with the best conditions for task implementation. At that point, our digital transformation effort will undoubtedly succeed.