How often does your organisation really challenge its approach to digital? A recent report from Virgin Media O2 Business in partnership with Cebr revealed a gap in progress between tech adopters and non-adopters. The average tech-adopting ‘digital leader’ saw a 12 percent turnover growth and 9 percent headcount growth between 2021 and 2023. This was double that of slower-adopting ‘digital followers’, with 6 percent turnover and 3 percent headcount.
The takeaway is clear: investing in digital fuels business success. So how can your organisation maximise the opportunity? Investment alone isn’t enough; businesses must empower employees to play an active role in the change. This means giving employees the autonomy to experiment with digital tools, to find creative ways to enhance productivity, solve business challenges and drive new operational efficiencies. Without this balance, technology investments risk becoming underutilised or misaligned with broader company objectives.
A culture of experimentation
One of the biggest roadblocks to digital transformation is a false perception of digital maturity. The report reveals that 75 percent of businesses, despite believing they had a robust digital culture, hadn’t made notable progress in their digital capabilities since 2021. This disconnect highlights the need for leaders to honestly assess their digital maturity and rethink their approach to fostering innovation.
A significant challenge is cultural resistance to change, cited by 41 percent of business leaders in digitally lagging companies. To bridge this gap, leaders must create an environment where employees feel empowered to explore new technologies, fail fast, and refine their approach without fear of repercussions.
Larger enterprises can achieve this by implementing a ‘test-and-learn’ approach, using pilot programmes to assess how employees interact with new digital tools before rolling out full-scale adoption. SMEs, on the other hand, can leverage their agility by embedding digital-first strategies from the outset, involving employees in shaping the tools and processes they use.
Regardless of company size, fostering a culture of experimentation is critical to ensuring employees feel engaged and confident using new technologies. When businesses support their staff in becoming digitally capable and confident enough to push the possibilities of new tools, they position themselves for long-term digital resilience and growth.
Balancing structure and freedom
Too much structure can stifle creativity, while excessive freedom can lead to a lack of focus, making innovation harder to achieve. The key is to create an environment where employees are empowered to use digital tools to innovate within a strategic framework.
Technology should not just improve efficiencies but unlock new ways of working. Digital collaboration platforms, AI-driven workflow automation, and cloud-based innovation hubs can provide employees with the autonomy to experiment while ensuring their efforts remain aligned with their business’ broader objectives.
Hybrid workers need to access data regardless of where they’re situated and therefore need a reliable network. For example, software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) can enable seamless, secure remote work, allowing employees to work in ways that suit them best while maintaining connectivity and security. Similarly, AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on strategic problem-solving and creative projects that drive business value.
But the environment must be right. The most digitally successful businesses don’t just implement digital tools—they actively encourage employees to explore their full potential. Whether through dedicated innovation time, digital upskilling initiatives, or structured sandbox environments for testing new ideas, companies must find ways to turn their workforce into active participants in their digital evolution. Employees must feel supported to test and learn, in order to maximise value.
The perks of being a digital leader
Resistance to change is a natural hurdle to overcome, but businesses that embrace digital are the ones best positioned for long-term growth. The most resilient organisations don’t wait for the perfect moment to innovate; they create opportunities for progress by embedding digital innovation into their operations.
Employers must show consistent appetite for employees to test boundaries and upskill by continually investing in both their people and their tech. By fostering a more digital workplace culture, digital leaders will be rewarded with the perks of happier employees, higher productivity and more business growth.
April 2, 2025
If you want your business to grow, become a digital leader
by Ross Pearson • Business, Comment, Technology
The takeaway is clear: investing in digital fuels business success. So how can your organisation maximise the opportunity? Investment alone isn’t enough; businesses must empower employees to play an active role in the change. This means giving employees the autonomy to experiment with digital tools, to find creative ways to enhance productivity, solve business challenges and drive new operational efficiencies. Without this balance, technology investments risk becoming underutilised or misaligned with broader company objectives.
A culture of experimentation
One of the biggest roadblocks to digital transformation is a false perception of digital maturity. The report reveals that 75 percent of businesses, despite believing they had a robust digital culture, hadn’t made notable progress in their digital capabilities since 2021. This disconnect highlights the need for leaders to honestly assess their digital maturity and rethink their approach to fostering innovation.
A significant challenge is cultural resistance to change, cited by 41 percent of business leaders in digitally lagging companies. To bridge this gap, leaders must create an environment where employees feel empowered to explore new technologies, fail fast, and refine their approach without fear of repercussions.
Larger enterprises can achieve this by implementing a ‘test-and-learn’ approach, using pilot programmes to assess how employees interact with new digital tools before rolling out full-scale adoption. SMEs, on the other hand, can leverage their agility by embedding digital-first strategies from the outset, involving employees in shaping the tools and processes they use.
Regardless of company size, fostering a culture of experimentation is critical to ensuring employees feel engaged and confident using new technologies. When businesses support their staff in becoming digitally capable and confident enough to push the possibilities of new tools, they position themselves for long-term digital resilience and growth.
Balancing structure and freedom
Too much structure can stifle creativity, while excessive freedom can lead to a lack of focus, making innovation harder to achieve. The key is to create an environment where employees are empowered to use digital tools to innovate within a strategic framework.
Technology should not just improve efficiencies but unlock new ways of working. Digital collaboration platforms, AI-driven workflow automation, and cloud-based innovation hubs can provide employees with the autonomy to experiment while ensuring their efforts remain aligned with their business’ broader objectives.
Hybrid workers need to access data regardless of where they’re situated and therefore need a reliable network. For example, software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) can enable seamless, secure remote work, allowing employees to work in ways that suit them best while maintaining connectivity and security. Similarly, AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on strategic problem-solving and creative projects that drive business value.
But the environment must be right. The most digitally successful businesses don’t just implement digital tools—they actively encourage employees to explore their full potential. Whether through dedicated innovation time, digital upskilling initiatives, or structured sandbox environments for testing new ideas, companies must find ways to turn their workforce into active participants in their digital evolution. Employees must feel supported to test and learn, in order to maximise value.
The perks of being a digital leader
Resistance to change is a natural hurdle to overcome, but businesses that embrace digital are the ones best positioned for long-term growth. The most resilient organisations don’t wait for the perfect moment to innovate; they create opportunities for progress by embedding digital innovation into their operations.
Employers must show consistent appetite for employees to test boundaries and upskill by continually investing in both their people and their tech. By fostering a more digital workplace culture, digital leaders will be rewarded with the perks of happier employees, higher productivity and more business growth.
Ross Pearson is Head of Small Enterprise at?Virgin Media O2 BusinessÂ