Leadership in the Age of Digital Transformation: Why Strategic Tech Fluency Is Now Essential

16th February, 2026 : Organisations
across industries are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, analytics,
automation and digital platforms, yet the returns remain uneven. A 2025
McKinsey study found that only 16 % of digital transformation initiatives
succeed in delivering sustained performance improvements
, despite
widespread adoption of advanced technologies. At the same time, Gartner reports
that 65 % of organisations now regularly use generative AI in
decision-making
, signalling that access to technology is no longer the
constraint. The disconnect lies elsewhere.

The
growing consensus among business leaders is that the real challenge is not
digital capability, but strategic tech fluency at the leadership level.
Accenture’s 2024 research shows that nearly 70 % of executives cite
leadership capability gaps as a primary barrier to digital value creation
,
particularly when it comes to integrating technology with business models,
customer strategy and operating processes. As digital initiatives become
enterprise-wide rather than functional, organisations need leaders who can
translate technological potential into commercial outcomes, manage risk, and
steer change across functions. Digital transformation, in short, has become a
leadership discipline.

Addressing
this challenge requires more than technical upskilling. Leaders must develop
the ability to think digitally. The Certificate Programme in Digital
Transformation and AI for Leaders
from IIM Indore is designed
precisely around this need. It equips senior professionals with the strategic
perspective and practical frameworks required to lead digital transformation
initiatives that deliver measurable business value. Rather than focusing on
tools in isolation, it emphasises how AI and digital technologies can be
embedded into core business strategy, process redesign and innovation agendas.

What
Leaders Will Be Able to Do

By
the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

       
Articulate the strategic principles of digital
transformation and AI

       
Design and implement AI-led initiatives
aligned to business priorities

       
Innovate and adapt business models using
emerging technologies

       
Enhance customer experience through
data-driven personalisation

       
Identify and manage risks associated with
digital and AI adoption

       
Lead digital transformation initiatives across
diverse organisational contexts

Industry-Led
Learning and Practical Insight

The
programme is delivered through engaging recorded sessions and reinforced
with live weekly doubt-clearing sessions
with industry experts, including:

     
AI Tool Workshop
Hands-on exposure to leading AI tools and workflows

     
AI ROI for Digital Transformation
– Measuring and maximising returns across functions

     
GenAI and Agentic AI Use Cases
– Applications across IT, BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare and e-commerce

     
The Future of Digital Transformation with AI
– How emerging technologies will shape autonomous enterprises

Participants
also benefit from peer-to-peer learning, cross-industry networking and IIM
Indore Executive Alumni Status
, strengthening both capability and
professional capital.

The
Leadership Imperative

As
digital technologies become deeply embedded in how organisations operate and
compete, the differentiator will not be access to AI, but the quality of
leadership guiding its use
. Strategic tech fluency is fast becoming a core
leadership capability essential for driving growth, managing risk and
sustaining competitive advantage.

IIM Indore’s Certificate Programme in Digital Transformation and
AI for Leaders
responds to this imperative by preparing
leaders not just to adopt technology, but to lead with it confidently,
strategically and responsibly.