10 skills and traits of successful digital leaders

There’s a fine art to being a successful digital leader. While all leaders should possess a good command of business goals and help their organizations maintain a competitive edge, digital leaders must balance that with a deep understanding of ever-changing technologies and the capabilities needed to transform and innovate.

Most leaders agree: Even in today’s AI-obsessed world, digital leaders cannot just focus on tech; they must be a strategic business enabler who collaborates, supports, and empowers their people. They must know when to push to innovate and when to prioritize stability.

More than ever, senior tech executives must be aware that today, technology is no longer just a function that enables business processes, but in many companies, it is becoming the product, says Jaime Capella, distinguished vice president of CIO research at Gartner.

On average, only 48% of digital initiatives hit their outcome targets, Capella says, calling that “shockingly bad.” Executives who co-lead with their business counterparts have 71% success rates with digital initiatives, he says.

“Business engagement at the C-suite level is paramount,” Capella says. Digital leaders must also possess “the ability to articulate the importance of architecture, … the ability to provide compelling, easy-to-use shared platforms that business areas can leverage, [and] the ability to co-create innovation with business areas and bring business area staff into innovation initiatives from the very beginning.”

Here are 10 skills and traits that digitally savvy leaders possess.

1. They adapt and define the ‘why’ of change

Digital leaders must have the ability to both embrace and drive change, says Flavio Villanustre, senior vice president of technology and global CISO of LexisNexis Risk Solutions. This requires a willingness “to question the status quo intentionally and frequently, and take calculated risks necessary to foster organizational innovation,” he says.

An important skill for CIOs is strategic thinking, which means adopting a “why” mindset, notesGill Haus, CIO of consumer and community banking at JPMorgan Chase.

“I ask questions all the time — even on subjects I think I’m most knowledgeable about,” Haus says. “When others see their leader asking questions, even in the company of more senior leaders, it creates a welcoming atmosphere that encourages everyone to feel safe doing the same. Taking the time to seek out the full context of decisions leads to better outcomes and more informed decision-making. This approach fosters innovation while refining decision-making.”

It’s easy to get caught up in a particular technology, but if your team doesn’t feel ownership or doesn’t understand the “why” behind what they’re tasked with, even the best strategies will fail. Transparency and adaptability should be a core part of how digital leaders lead. Further, if something isn’t working, they should quickly pivot.

A concept that resonates with Rebecca Fox, CIO of NCC Group, is “grip and control,” an expression coined by Apple founder Steve Jobs, which means that every time you adjust your grip on a phone, you risk dropping it. For Fox, that translates to “ensuring the vision isn’t diluted as it’s carried forward by the transformation team. It’s about clarity of purpose: defining the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of change so clearly that it stays intact, while empowering others to focus on the ‘how’ and driving it to completion,” she says.

Maintaining a grip demands consistent communication, laser focus, and a relentless commitment to outcomes, she adds.

2. They have a vision — and act on it

Change also requires a digital leader to be “brave and visionary,” the foundation of success for Fox. Echoing Villanustre, she says, “Setting a bold, clear vision for change — one that challenges the status quo — is critical.”

But it takes more than merely having a vision. “Having the bravery to step forward, articulate that vision, and take calculated risks is what brings it to life,” Fox says. “This courage is especially important when transformation spans months or years and requires sustained commitment.”

Fox says she is planning to work this year on refining “the art of translating vision into detailed, actionable plans.” This is where the real talent lies, she says; in bridging the gap between high-level strategy and the day-to-day actions that deliver transformative results.

This requires precision and relentless attention to detail, especially in global organizations where alignment is crucial, Fox adds. It’s also important to balance vision with practicality.

Effective leaders have a clear vision of what technology can do for their organization as well as a solid understanding of it, agrees Stephanie Woerner, director and principal research scientist at the MIT’s Center for Information Systems Research (CISR). “They think about the new things they can do with technology, different ways of getting work done or engaging with customers, and how technology enables that.”

They are also able to communicate that vision to employees, external partners, and markets, Woerner says. “This characteristic is statistically a great predicator of transformation progress.”

3. They focus on customer-centricity

Knowing and anticipating what the user wants is key for Julia Sears, chief digital officer of commercial solar company Altus Power. “It’s important to ensure that the product upholds the brand promise of the company,” she says.

JPMorgan Chase’s Haus says managing digital responsibilities has taught him that “stability and reliability are foundational, because our customers depend on us in their moments of need. These are non-negotiables that must be solid before any innovation can take root.”

A good digital leader will also listen intently to customers to anticipate their needs, he says. Continuously adapting to this stream of information is critical to staying ahead.

“As technology evolves rapidly, being clear about the actual customer problem helps prioritize our work,” Haus says. “For example, it’s not about developing [large language model] capabilities for our own sake but deciding to do so because we deeply understand the customer problem and see LLM as the solution.”

4. They simplify complexity

Being able to translate complex technical concepts into clear business value while also maintaining realistic implementation timelines is another important skill. Tech leaders are up to their eyeballs in data, systems, and processes, but all users want is that a product works.

A strong digital leader should constantly ask themselves how they can make something easier for their customers. This requires putting themselves in the customers’ shoes. If there is something you wouldn’t want to deal with, neither would they.

“They need to be able to articulate the value of … platforms in terms of the impact they can have on the customer experience or the productivity of the enterprise, rather than just get stuck in descriptions of the technical aspects,” says Gartner’s Capella. But, he adds, “they still need to instill architectural awareness.”

5. They stay curious and lean into lifelong learning

You can’t be a digital leader unless you are curious, willing to experiment and sometimes take risks.

Digital leaders who are not complacent and are open to exploring new technologies and ideas help their organization maintain a competitive edge. They also have a willingness to take small, calculated risks, which can bring significant results.

Staying curious is critical, says MIT CISR’s Woerner. “Every great leader we’ve talked to is always trying to learn. They talk to startups to see what the capabilities of the new technologies are, they read, they ask company leaders to present case studies. They participate in hackathons or mapping a customer journey. They communicate with their peers.”

Because the rate of change in technology is continuously accelerating, it requires leaders to stay current on new technologies and, in many cases, push the envelope to prevent their organizations from lagging their peers, says LexisNexis’ Villanustre.

Tkachuk includes continuous learning and staying up to date on the latest happenings in the industry as core to his success as a digital leader.   

6. They practice patience

Patience is a virtue, and that’s something successful digital leaders have cultivated. Every “urgent” IT request is a matter of perspective, a lesson Black Wallet CIO Remi Alli says he’s learned along the way. “To the end-user, it’s a five-alarm fire; to me, it’s just another day in the digital trenches.”

This requires the critically important skill of patience, Alli says, “especially when explaining to colleagues that ‘turning it off and on again’ is not just a suggestion, but often the best life advice we have.”

Patience and curiosity are paramount when it comes to balancing innovation with ethics, security, and impact on the customer, agrees Jay Tkachuk, senior vice president and chief digital officer of Golden 1 Credit Union. “These have to exist in addition to the soft skills like communication and continuous learning.”

Patience should be accompanied by agility, adds Woerner. “Leaders of successful transformations stay the course,” she says, noting that transformations take time and changing a business model and how a company makes money, don’t happen overnight. Additionally, “These leaders must be able to course correct when something doesn’t go the way they expected,” she says.

7. They surround themselves with people smarter than them

You need to identify the right people for the right situations — and then get out of their way. That way, you build a team that covers all the knowledge needed for digital.

Altus Power’s Sears says that having great mentors has been critical in evolving her career. “There is a wealth of knowledge out there — have the humility to take advantage of it. Once you find someone, whether a boss or a peer who has been successful and is open to seeing you grow, drink in that knowledge. Be open with your challenges,” she says. “They will tell you when you need to step in or step back. They will help you more than you can imagine.”

8. They think like a business leader

Beth McCormick, CIO of restaurant chain Cava, thinks of herself “as a business leader who specializes in tech.” This has prompted her to lead with a focus on understanding the business. “I work with my teams to identify the problems the business needs to solve and the outcomes we’re trying to drive and from there, strategically determine how to provide support using technical and digital solutions.”

As part of that, McCormick has also prioritized relationship building, both within the organization and with external partners, vendors, and peers. “My team ensures we’re bringing everyone along on the enterprise’s tech journey,” she says. 

Similarly, digital leaders must assemble the right team “by identifying those who think and act like business owners and who understand the materiality of their contribution to the overall business,” says Sears.

To be successful, digital leaders must take the time to learn the business or industry, as well as the technologies that will advance it, agrees Tanya Townsend, chief information and digital officer at Stanford Children’s Health.

“I started my career as a business systems analyst, which allowed me the opportunity to learn both the business side and the hands-on tools and technologies that support it,” Townsend says. “This allows the ability to speak the language of the business or industry, whether speaking to an executive or a technologist and oftentimes translate between the groups.”

Once she became a leader, Townsend says she had to learn to let go of some of the hands-on building tasks. That has meant “providing mentorship and guidance to the teams I support, but trust and empower them to learn and grow,” she says.

9. They tell a good story

Digital leaders must be able to tell a good story and be honest while articulating why you’re moving in a certain direction, what the benefits are, and what the “pot of gold” at the end of the rainbow looks like, says David White, an advisor for startups at Google. “It’s also important to acknowledge there will be rough periods and struggles, and that’s okay — it’s just a part of the journey. Leaders must communicate that reaching one destination isn’t the end. It’s just an oasis along the way,” he says.

Sears echoes that, saying, “Storytelling and the ability to synthesize complex messages is probably the biggest hidden talent a CDO should have. No one wants stereo instructions.”

10. They look beyond self-interest and are authentic

Communication is undoubtedly an important skill for any leader, but you also have to come across as being genuine, says Google’s White. “You can’t just use buzzwords and expect people to follow you. People have to believe that you believe.”

Beyond driving consensus and collaboration, effective leadership communication means getting people to work against their immediate self-interest, he adds. “Our industry has created a culture of hyperfocus on immediate goals, quarterly targets, and bonus metrics. The key is elevating the conversation to focus on the common good and company’s best interests, which ultimately, provides indirect, longer-term benefits.”

Getting people to see beyond their immediate goals is challenging, he admits, but that’s where leaders find the most success.

One of the most profound impacts on White’s career came after the sudden passing of the senior executive at a 200-person startup he worked at. “I found myself as the only executive officer left standing during an already-ongoing transition. It was truly a trial by fire,” he recalls. “The challenge was maintaining forward momentum while supporting 200 people who counted on us for their livelihoods and were emotionally devastated by the loss of a beloved leader.”

This experience reinforced the importance of genuine leadership, White says. It meant “getting down in the trenches with people, sharing in their grief, and not trying to simply push through with platitudes. Leading meant being real, feeling the emotions alongside your team, rather than maintaining a shiny facade or hiding behind corporate messaging.”