Leading the Way in Digital Transformation

One of the greatest misconceptions about digital transformation is that it’s all about technology or digital technology.

Dr Jack Hong, adjunct lecturer at Singapore Management University, wishes to dispel this myth once and for all through his new Master Business Administration (MBA) module on Leading Digital Transformation.

As the co-founder of Research Room – an Artificial Intelligence (AI) consulting and development outfit that help big marques such as Certis Cisco, NEC, and Fujitsu provide business intelligence and insights – Dr Hong notes that while tools such as smart analytics, big data and artificial intelligence can be leveraged to help businesses ride the digital wave, they’re not the be-all and end-all.

Digital transformation, Dr Hong explains, is a set of new drivers that obliterates barriers to industries previously built on old drivers of success.

The combination of new drivers create a set of core competencies that allows its wielder to potentially disrupt any industry they want. Examples of new drivers include consumer networks and advocacy; “co-opetition” and the platform business model; data, analytics, and artificial intelligence; innovation, rapid experimentation and agile practices; value proposition-based decision making and digital-savvy leadership.

He says: “First and foremost, these core competencies are strategic in nature, with technology playing a secondary role as enablers. Businesses looking to stay ahead of disruption should focus on how to adapt their business models with the new drivers, then evaluate what technology will best apply.”

Changing mindsets and mentoring entrepreneurs

In addition to the new drivers, the SMU alumni found one fundamental prerequisite particularly crucial for business leaders trying to make the leap to digitisation and thrive in this digital era: a highly adaptable mindset.

Having actively participated in multiple start-ups over the past five years, he realised that the most critical capability is to be able to continuously adapt and re-adapt one’s mindset to rapidly changing environments.

That’s why he designed the Leading Digital Transformation module to facilitate that.

A firm believer that mentorship plays just as important a role as knowledge dissemination, Dr Hong, who has a degree in Business Management and a postgraduate doctoral degree in Business (Finance), walks the talk by incorporating that balance into his module.

“Rather than being an authority to the team, I am part of their team, playing the role of a disruptive mentor who questions their traditional way of thinking, pushing their ideas to levels beyond their imagination by synthesising the knowledge taught in the course with wicked creativity,” Dr Hong adds.

The SMU connection

A seasoned entrepreneur, Dr Hong attributes his disposition towards risk-taking and entrepreneurship to his undergraduate experience, and his ability to think out of the box to his doctoral days at SMU.

He recalls: “That experience played a critical role in building my confidence and technical ability to identify, scope, and seize opportunities in business and life.”

Dr Hong also shares that his struggles with entrepreneurship has ingrained in him many invaluable lessons. He wants to bridge knowledge and theories with what works and empirical examples, to better equip his students with the competencies that will make them shine in their jobs. “I hope that my students will be able to bring a new lease of life to the organisations they join, through injecting impactful innovations, small and large, to make these organisations more entrepreneurial, effective, and efficient. The course equips them with the 'know-how' to dream big and the 'how-to' to achieve that dream with twice the productivity in half the time,” he says.

Intrigued about Dr Hong’s Leading Digital Transformation module and want to find out more? Click here.