Nils Fonstad reads MIT CISR's February 2026 research briefing, which he co-authored with Martin Mocker and Jukka Salonen. See the text version and related content at https://cisr.mit.edu/publication/2026_0201_LeadingDigitalInnovation_FonstadMockerSalonen_Audio.
Abstract: To survive and thrive in volatile business conditions, organizations increasingly need digital innovation, the process of taking an idea that uses digital technologies from inception to impact. Yet most organizations struggle with digital innovation, as their approach consumes resources out of proportion to the impact it delivers. Our research has found that organizations that innovate successfully rely not on a single heroic executive or centralized unit to lead digital innovation. Rather, they leverage three distinct but complementary types of leaders: (1) initiative leaders, (2) shared resource leaders, and (3) portfolio leaders. This briefing describes how each type works, illustrated with examples from successful innovators.
