Driving Innovation and Leading Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation and Innovation October 25, 2025
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Introduction

This course acts as a comprehensive integration of leadership, strategy, and execution—the three pillars of successful digital transformation. It focuses on the hands-on process of moving from a defined digital strategy to operational reality. Participants will learn how to design the organizational machinery needed for continuous innovation, including setting up innovation labs, managing internal ventures, and linking exploratory work back to the core business. This program prepares leaders to be the chief architects and operational drivers of enterprise change.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Integrate digital strategy, agile methodologies, and cultural change into one unified transformation plan.
  • Design and launch effective internal innovation vehicles, such as accelerators or corporate venture funds.
  • Apply the Horizon 1, 2, and 3 framework to manage a balanced portfolio of innovation efforts.
  • Develop a comprehensive governance model that allows digital teams autonomy while maintaining strategic oversight.
  • Establish metrics (KPIs/OKRs) that incentivize both core business performance and future-focused innovation.
  • Master the process of scaling successful innovation pilots and integrating them into the core business.
  • Lead the delicate political and cultural process of disrupting the existing business model from within.

Target Audience

  • Heads of Transformation, Innovation, and Digital PMOs
  • General Managers and Business Unit Leaders
  • Senior Program Managers and Portfolio Managers
  • Strategy and Corporate Development Executives

Methodology

The methodology centers on practical management of the innovation funnel and portfolio. **Scenarios** involve managing a crisis where a core business unit feels threatened by a new, successful internal venture. **Case studies** analyze companies that successfully implemented ambidexterity (e.g., Amazon, 3M) and the structures they used. **Group activities** focus on designing the investment governance rules for an internal corporate venture capital (CVC) fund. **Individual exercises** require participants to map their organization's current innovation portfolio against the Three Horizons framework. **Syndicate discussions** debate the ideal reporting structure for an innovation lab to ensure it has both autonomy and strategic alignment.

Personal Impact

  • Master the practical frameworks for creating and sustaining a continuous innovation pipeline.
  • Gain competence in designing organizational structures that balance stability and change.
  • Elevate personal influence by successfully linking strategic vision to measurable execution.
  • Improve decision-making on venture funding and resource allocation across the innovation portfolio.
  • Develop the leadership skills to manage internal disruption and political resistance.

Organizational Impact

  • Ensure a continuous flow of validated, scalable innovation projects.
  • Bridge the strategy-to-execution gap for large-scale digital initiatives.
  • Optimize resource allocation across the short-term, mid-term, and long-term future.
  • Successfully scale digital products and services into the core operating model.
  • Establish organizational ambidexterity as a sustainable competitive advantage.

Course Outline

UNIT 1: Integrating Strategy and Execution

The Three Horizons Model
  • Review of Digital Strategy: Vision, Ambition, and Strategic Mandates
  • Applying the Three Horizons Framework (H1, H2, H3) to portfolio management
  • Bridging the Gap: Linking H3 exploratory work back to H1 core business goals
  • Designing the "Innovation Engine": Structures for continuous idea flow

UNIT 2: Architecting the Innovation System

Innovation Vehicles and Governance
  • Evaluating and launching different innovation vehicles (Labs, Incubators, Accelerators, CVC)
  • Defining the operating model for the digital core (Talent, Technology, Process)
  • Developing a governance structure for internal startups and venture investment decisions
  • The process of internal venture funding, milestones, and kill-points

UNIT 3: Execution: Lean, Agile, and Speed

High-Velocity Delivery
  • Applying Lean Startup principles to test and validate innovation hypotheses
  • Scaling Agile beyond IT: The role of cross-functional "digital squads"
  • Establishing a high-frequency delivery pipeline (CI/CD) for digital products
  • Managing the portfolio: Deciding what to sunset, sustain, and scale

UNIT 4: Scaling and Integration

From Pilot to Core Business
  • Identifying the strategic and operational risks during the scaling phase
  • Strategies for integrating successful innovation ventures back into the core operating model
  • Managing political resistance from existing business units during integration
  • Developing the required capabilities (talent, budget, legal) to support large-scale rollout

UNIT 5: Leadership and Measurement

Incentivizing the New Behaviors
  • Leading the dual organization (Ambidextrous Leadership) and managing paradox
  • Designing incentive structures and performance reviews that reward H2/H3 work
  • Measuring innovation success: Non-financial metrics and early indicators (e.g., learning velocity)
  • The role of the leader in celebrating success and institutionalizing new norms and processes

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