"Digitalisation of industries and the digital enhancement of products and services means that businesses need to engage in ecosystems much more than before to manage their digital transformation."

In this episode of let's talk Roland and I delve into the world of building and maintaining business ecosystems in today’s world. We discuss the shift from individual to collective, the changes from 20th century linear management models to more interconnected and collaborative approaches as well as boundary management in complex environments. Roland shares his insights, research and wealth of experience on this topic. 

The main insights from this episode :

• the imperative to engage in ecosystems is something that has been driven through digitalisation.
• business and digital transformation for complex organisations requires leaders to create non-hierarchical business ecosystems and think collectively 'outside the box'
• this move from individual to collective requires systems thinking and an understanding of network dynamics both inside and outside the organisation (partnerships, business models..)
• digitisation and technology offer the necessary tools but leaders must be open to embracing informal power dynamics, such as those seen at play on social media
• collaboration and co-creation are key to forming clusters within an organisation or even an industry sector that interact to provide a network of joined-up thinking
• leaders must look beyond their organisation to manage boundaries and ecosystems effectively and remain open-minded and flexible along the way
• failures often happen during scaling : overcome barriers within and beyond the organisation to develop a bespoke ecosystem based on vision, purpose and sustainability that will learn from mistakes
• (even moreso post-COVID) it invites curiosity and agility as well as digital maturity and the restructuring of somewhat outdated codified governance models