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Sweeping foundational changes brought about by digitalization over roughly twenty-five years have affected nearly every business industry and government to the point where today every board member, CEO, and business and IT leader find themselves "on the fault line of this earthquake of change," writes Manchala. Data shows that the ever-accelerating digital transformation trends—which shall only increase exponentially in the coming years—will leave no business in any industry untouched. As the author began to study mass digitalization and its multitude of implications in 2016 through a global transformation study, data from more than five thousand large, small, and medium-sized companies were examined and interpreted, representing "every major business and IT function" from among twenty different industries worldwide. The multifaceted results of this large-scale study have informed the creation of Manchala's detailed and exhaustive monograph. The deeply applied analysis identifies the seminal notion of leadership as the single most significant factor determining success (or lack thereof).
As such, a "leadership persona" well equipped for the current digital age is identified in these pages, which Manchala terms the Methodical Innovator. Included is an insightful and actionable "120-day playbook" to assist business, technology, and government leaders of all stripes in their transition into the "mindset and approach" Manchala argues passionately is absolutely necessary for achieving success. "Part One" identifies and describes in research-heavy detail the nature of this "digital faultline" itself, including its preceding forces, windows "of opportunity or of crisis," and companies successfully navigating the many associated seismic shifts, which the author identifies as "Digital Champions." Manchala's "Part Two" lays out the foundational notions comprising "The 10 Rules of Highly Successful Leaders in the Digital Age." "Part Three" follows, explaining in depth the afore-mentioned Methodical Innovator Persona vis-à-vis leadership accomplishing specifics of digital-age demands. Meanwhile, "Part Four"—"The Methodical Innovator's Playbook"—discusses the direct application of Manchala's ten rules. Sections on "Measuring Progress" and business transformation "Beyond the Faultline" round out the immense publication.
Analytical, deeply researched, anecdote-rich, and inspiring, Manchala's work can be viewed as both quite necessary and transformational in the way business organizations not only survive but thrive in the rapidly changing digital environment. As the author writes, such sweeping changes manifest in various ways, including "a host of new social behaviors, revolutionary products and services, and entirely new technology companies which are reframing established business paradigms." The reader gains a deep appreciation for the immense scope of knowledge and experience Manchala has acquired during his more than twenty years of working closely with Silicon Valley clients. Additionally, it is a strong testament to the exhaustive and inclusionary nature of Manchala's large-scale research undertaking that as the composition of the book's final manuscript was happening against the backdrop reality of the global pandemic known as COVID-19, the author chose to go back to the drawing board to incorporate both pre- and post-COVID data. A valuable appendix and an abundance of explanatory visual graphics (totaling forty figures) only add to the ease of explanation and hefty, methodical nature of this robust and informative guidebook for leaders successfully navigating a new time and place for industry in the current (and future) global landscape.
Manchala serves as CEO and chairman of Trianz, a digital transformation service firm leading global corporations across a spectrum of multiple industries that is also a three-time Forbes magazine's "America's Best Management Consulting Firms" award winner. This book was born from the author's twenty-three years of Silicon Valley-based experience in technology, combining extensive research and long-term partnerships with senior clients during their own transformations. A graduate of the National Defense Academy and an Indian Army Special Forces officer, Manchala then studied international business, corporate strategy, and organizational development at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. The insights of Trianz's global transformation surveys—which analyzed more than 1.5 million data points from 5,000-plus companies—inform the conclusions presented in this most exuberant work.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review