MIT have just announced their annual list of the 50 Smartest Companies. These superstar companies made the list because they have an especially impressive combination of technological leadership and business acumen, as judged by MIT, over the past year. What can we learn from these superstar businesses?
One thing that seems clear according to the editor of MIT Technology Review, David Rotman is that, “…they got there through exploiting a growing gap in digital competencies…….and have gained their power at least in part by adeptly anticipating and using digital technologies.”
But what can we learn about leadership from these superstar businesses. Jensen (Jen-Hsun) Huang is the CEO of graphics chip maker, Nvidia, the number one ranked company on the MIT list. He may not be as well-known as Jeff Bezos at Amazon or Elon Musk at Tesla but he is ranked number six in the list of HBR’s Best-Performing CEOs in the World.
Huang believes that the biggest challenge for any business is reinvention. “Every successful thing needs to be torn down and rebuilt at some point. It is challenging, takes courage and is gut wrenching…,” he says. Clearly equilibrium is not an option for Huang as Nvidia now establishes itself as the leading provider of processing power for AI software and its newer, AI-related businesses are growing quickly.
In fact, the conclusion of our Big Kahuna Leadership Survey is that there are opportunities at levels to emulate the game-changing leadership capability of the superstars. Boards have the opportunity to enhance their technology input and influence digital strategy. Technology literate CEOs and C-suite executives will have the appetite for technology-led strategic transformation. Technology leaders (CIOs, CTOs etc.) can influence the strategic and business focus of organisations.
How could you emulate the game-changing leadership of the superstars?
Best regards, Brian
PS: Want to build your leadership influence? Contact us for a free 30 minute leadership diagnostic.