Since joining the One Digital project at SCVO I’ve been lucky to meet a lot of senior leaders and trustees grappling with what it means to be a digital leader. Here are a few reflections about what I’ve heard:

1) Digital leadership is just leadership

If you are a leader it is your responsibility to create a culture and environment where change can happen. We know that embracing digital helps organisations to run more efficiently and effectively. In 2016 the job of leadership means supporting your staff and end-users to overcome worries about digital, and delivering services that really meet their needs.

2) It’s not just about technology

Digital does involve technology, and you need people with the skills to understand what is possible. But this is only part of it. Being a digital organisation is also about mindset. Organisations grow and survive when they can change quickly, fail fast and adopt processes and structures that let them do this.

3) The third sector is up for the challenge

We have been overwhelmed with the interest and passion from organisations across the Scottish Third Sector when we talk about digital. These blogs from CEOs involved in our action learning offer great and honest insight about how it feels to be leading these changes.

4) Transform and disrupt v. mature and optimise

There is a lot of talk about how digital can really shake up industries – and it can. However, it can also be used to help existing models to mature and optomise what you already have. This great blog about why digital maturity rather than disruption feels right for the third sector.

5) Transparency is good

Being a digital leader means embracing a more open and less hierarchical culture. Our sector needs this. Digital can break down barriers, as a leader you can communicate with end users and staff in ways that just weren’t possible before. One small first step that all leaders can take is to get on social media, be bold, and be yourself.

If you are a leader, trustee or working from the bottom up we would love to hear from you, and work with you to help make the sector more digital. Get in touch via @digiscotor email digital@scvo.scot