• Published April 23, 2021
  • 2 Minute Read

Digital Leadership Readiness: Lessons From Singapore

Published April 23, 2021
digital leadership readiness lessons from Singapore

The 9 Essential Roles for Digital Leadership

This white paper, co-written with the American Chamber of Commerce-Singapore (AmCham Singapore) and supported by HRM Asia, Pymetrics, and Thrive HR Exchange, identifies areas of strength and development on 9 key digital leadership roles:

  • Future Seeker
  • Business Shaper
  • Customer Champion
  • Ecosystem Builder
  • Organization Transformer
  • Innovation Accelerator
  • Talent Maker
  • Culture Catalyst
  • Engagement Energizer

This work was informed by data collected through 179 surveys and 19 interviews. All participants in the study were senior leaders who oversee, have responsibility for, and play a role in their organization’s digital transformation efforts.

Top Priorities for Improving Digital Leadership

The findings revealed a low- to mid-level of ability in performing all the roles associated with digital leadership. More specifically:

  • Alignment stands out as a priority that must be addressed to accelerate the ability to lead digital transformation in Singapore. It is key, as it develops the right environment for success, prototypes to show leaders new ways, and new habits in real business situations. Such areas include using agile methods to develop innovative solutions, using digital to promote mutually beneficial activities with partners, and developing capabilities to deliver digital changes.
  • The role of Innovation Accelerator scored the lowest, underscoring how leaders continue to be risk-averse, less ready to allow for and learn from failures.
  • The roles of Customer Champion and Engagement Energizer scored the highest, highlighting that leaders place customers at the center of digital transformation and encourage positive employee experience toward digital and digital tools.
  • Bridging the digital talent gap is another area that needs to be addressed. While commitment toward digital is high, more effort is needed in the role of Talent Maker to foster a culture of keeping digital talent and equipping people to develop digital knowledge.

The paper concludes with recommendations in policy areas where Singapore should focus: Education, Talent, and Support.

Download White Paper

Download White Paper

Download this paper to learn about our research findings on digital leadership readiness in APAC and how HR can help drive organizational digital transformation.

  • Published April 23, 2021
  • 2 Minute Read

Written by

Anand Chandrasekar
Anand Chandrasekar, PhD
Senior Research Faculty, APAC

Anand leads our Asia-focused leadership development research and evaluation practice, partnering with CCL staff and clients to identify leadership needs, design and deliver leadership development solutions, articulate leadership solution outcomes, and evaluate the solutions for impact and improvement. He’s passionate about creating access to early leadership development to improve lives and create lasting change.

Anand leads our Asia-focused leadership development research and evaluation practice, partnering with CCL staff and clients to identify leadership needs, design and deliver leadership development solutions, articulate leadership solution outcomes, and evaluate the solutions for impact and improvement. He’s passionate about creating access to early leadership development to improve lives and create lasting change.

Elisa Mallis
Elisa Mallis, MA, MEd
Global VP, Research, Innovation & New Content Creation

Elisa directs our coordinated global research, innovation, and new content creation efforts and leads our innovation ecosystem. She oversees both our Leadership Research & Analytics Team and our Partnerships & Innovation Team, fostering a culture of mission-focused innovation, experimentation, and dissemination of research. She has 20+ years of experience, focused on transformational change, human capital strategy, and sales and marketing.

Elisa directs our coordinated global research, innovation, and new content creation efforts and leads our innovation ecosystem. She oversees both our Leadership Research & Analytics Team and our Partnerships & Innovation Team, fostering a culture of mission-focused innovation, experimentation, and dissemination of research. She has 20+ years of experience, focused on transformational change, human capital strategy, and sales and marketing.

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About CCL

At the Center for Creative Leadership, our drive to create a ripple effect of positive change underpins everything we do. For 50+ years, we've pioneered leadership development solutions for leaders at every level, from community leaders to CEOs. Consistently ranked among the top global providers of executive education, our research-based programs and solutions inspire individuals at every level in organizations across the world — including 2/3 of the Fortune 1000 — to ignite remarkable transformations.

At the Center for Creative Leadership, our drive to create a ripple effect of positive change underpins everything we do. For 50+ years, we've pioneered leadership development solutions for leaders at every level, from community leaders to CEOs. Consistently ranked among the top global providers of executive education, our research-based programs and solutions inspire individuals at every level in organizations across the world — including 2/3 of the Fortune 1000 — to ignite remarkable transformations.

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