
CHROs: 3 ways to help top executives prioritize recovery
With organizations experiencing unprecedented levels of leadership burnout, Nele Dael identifies three ways to help your people integrate recovery into even the busiest schedule. ...

by Michael R. Wade, Didier Bonnet, Tomoko Yokoi, Nikolaus Obwegeser Published October 2, 2025 in Brain Circuits • 3 min read
Credibility is difficult to build and easy to lose for any leader, especially newly appointed digital leaders. Here are some concrete actions and insights that will help you on the journey, but start by checking that everything is in place for you to succeed.
Enlist the support of communication teams to transmit and market the strategy and objectives of the digital transformation. Communicate progress and achievements widely, transparently, and often.
Make visible moves that depart from the organization’s traditional ways of working. This will intrigue people, demonstrating that you have the drive to do things differently.
Find an initiative that you can conclude relatively fast, or an existing end-to-end initiative you can accelerate. If this isn’t possible, a succession of smaller quick wins can also help to build credibility.
Internal politics and resistance to change are hurdles for any transformation effort. Build a network of people who support the digital strategy. This network need not be formal, but it must be actively nurtured.
Look for possible iconic moves in things that are widely known and regularly encountered, yet small enough to create cheap and quick effects.
Build a detailed stakeholder map of the business leaders with whom you could partner. Nurture this network by sharing knowledge and empowering them.
Colleagues must understand what you want to achieve. This also provides freedom for others to provide input and collaborate on how to get there together.
When selecting quick wins, focus on accomplishments that would make the entire team look good. Work with the team to brainstorm collective quick wins.
Hacking Digital Best Practices to Implement and Accelerate Your Business Transformation
AI digital transformation: Reshaping organizations, work, and our global future
21 Digital Transformation Strategies for Success in 2025
The Value of Digital Transformation
All views expressed herein are those of the authors and have been specifically developed and published in accordance with the principles of academic freedom. As such, such views are not necessarily held or endorsed by TONOMUS or its affiliates.

TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital
Michael R Wade is TONOMUS Professor of Strategy and Digital at IMD and Director of the TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation. He directs a number of open programs such as Leading Digital and AI Transformation, Digital Transformation for Boards, Leading Digital Execution, Digital Transformation Sprint, Digital Transformation in Practice, Business Creativity and Innovation Sprint. He has written 10 books, hundreds of articles, and hosted popular management podcasts including Mike & Amit Talk Tech. In 2021, he was inducted into the Swiss Digital Shapers Hall of Fame.

Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation
Didier Bonnet is Professor of Strategy and Digital Transformation at IMD and program co-director for Digital Transformation in Practice (DTIP). He also teaches strategy and digital transformation in several open programs such as Leading Digital Business Transformation (LDBT), Digital Execution (DE) and Digital Transformation for Boards (DTB). He has more than 30 years’ experience in strategy development and business transformation for a range of global clients.

Researcher, TONOMUS Global Center for Digital and AI Transformation
Tomoko Yokoi is an IMD researcher and senior business executive with expertise in digital business transformations, women in tech, and digital innovation. With 20 years of experience in B2B and B2C industries, her insights are regularly published in outlets such as Forbes and MIT Sloan Management Review.

Professor and Director at the Institute for Information Systems and Digital Transformation
Nikolaus Obwegeser is a professor and Director of the Institute for Digital Technology Management at Bern University of Applied Sciences and an expert in digital business transformation and innovation. His articles have been published in MIT Sloan Management Review, Technovation, and the Journal of Product Innovation Management. Prior to joining IMD, he was an associate professor of information systems at Aarhus University in Denmark. He provides advisory and consulting services for public and private organizations.

24 hours ago • by Nele Dael in Brain Circuits
With organizations experiencing unprecedented levels of leadership burnout, Nele Dael identifies three ways to help your people integrate recovery into even the busiest schedule. ...

October 22, 2025 • by Ginka Toegel, Jean-Louis Barsoux in Brain Circuits
Following on from Part 1 of our series on “undiscussables”, here are ways to tackle team dynamics where people say but don’t mean, professing publicly to espouse values and attitudes that they...

October 21, 2025 • by Claudius A. Hildebrand in Brain Circuits
Many people new to leadership get into trouble by launching bold initiatives before they’ve won the necessary support to effect change. Follow these key practices to thrive in your new role. ...

October 16, 2025 • by Ginka Toegel, Jean-Louis Barsoux in Brain Circuits
Nothing stunts team progress like “undiscussables.” Left unmanaged, they choke the team’s problem-solving abilities and its capacity to learn and change. In this four-part series, we provide a guide for team leaders...
Explore first person business intelligence from top minds curated for a global executive audience