A Digital Vanguard Mindset goes beyond adopting cutting-edge technologies; it’s about fostering a culture where IT and business leaders work hand-in-hand to unlock the full potential of digital transformation.  

This blog explores how organizations can cultivate this mindset, empower teams across departments, and drive meaningful change that positions them as leaders in the digital age. 

First, Let’s See Who Digital Vanguards Are 

Digital vanguards represent an elite group of organizations that excel in leveraging digital technologies to drive superior outcomes. These outperformers consistently achieve exceptional results from their digital investments, standing apart as industry leaders in innovation and execution.  

Digital vanguards are not only at the forefront of transformation but also demonstrate a remarkable ability to translate digital strategies into tangible business successes. 

What sets them apart? These leaders are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to meet or exceed their targets for digital initiatives compared to their peers. By fostering a culture of agility, data-driven decision-making, and strategic investment, digital vanguards set the benchmark for how organizations can unlock the full potential of their digital efforts to gain a competitive edge. 

What Sets Digital Outperformers CIOs Apart? 

According to Gartner’s 2025 CIO and Technology Executive Survey, only 48% of enterprise-wide digital initiatives achieve or surpass their intended business outcomes. However, a distinct group of outperformers stands out for their approach and success. 

What Makes Them Unique? 

Strategically, these leaders adopt a dual-focus growth strategy that enables: 

• Collaborative digital leadership with other CxOs. 

• Joint development of digital capabilities between IT and non-IT partners. 

Tactically, they excel by: 

• Delivering seamless platform experiences: Prioritizing data, integration, and development platforms that empower all technology users—both IT and non-IT—to create robust and secure solutions. 

• Fostering architectural awareness: Actively involving CxOs in IT decision-making, offering guidance on vendor management, total cost of ownership, cybersecurity, and enterprise architecture. 

• Driving innovation at scale: Beyond deploying emerging technologies like AI, these CIOs help identify business innovation opportunities, uncover AI use cases, and enable business-led experimentation and scaling. 

• Building future-ready teams: They are nearly three times more likely to support business areas in forecasting and addressing their technology skill requirements. 

Digital Vanguard CIOs stand out for their ability to strategically integrate business and technology, enabling their organizations to consistently outperform in a competitive digital landscape. 

4 Transformative Actions To Achieve Exceptional Business Results  

Action 1: Offer strong foundational platforms 

Figure 1: Changes in Technology Funding, from 2024 to 2025 (Percentage of Respondents) – Source: Gartner (October 2024)  

Digital Vanguard CIOs prioritize user-friendly platforms that simplify the creation of digital initiatives. They take a strategic approach, considering the needs of all technology users—not just those in IT—when selecting and deploying digital platforms, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for everyone involved. 

By 2025, over 80% of CIOs plan to invest in foundational technologies such as cybersecurity, generative AI, business intelligence, data analytics, and integration tools like APIs. These technologies are essential for driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, and maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving digital world. 

Digital Vanguard CIOs recognize that many of the key contributors to digital success are outside the IT department, within various business areas. With business teams dedicating an average of 26% of their staff to technology-related roles, these CIOs understand the critical role of collaboration. 

To unlock this potential, CIOs must empower employees across the organization to participate in technology initiatives. By offering accessible and compelling platforms, they make it easier for non-IT staff to contribute effectively to building and managing digital solutions, fostering a culture of innovation and shared success. 

Action 2: Instill architectural awareness 

Digital Vanguard CIOs empower employees across the business, not just those in IT, to leverage digital platforms for creating digital solutions. To foster effective collaboration between IT and other business areas, it’s essential for everyone—whether in IT or other departments—to have a foundational understanding of architecture and security. 

Currently, only 17% of enterprise architecture (EA) teams equip stakeholders with the skills to think like architects. This gap creates unnecessary obstacles for CxOs, leaving them ill-equipped to grasp the complexities of technology vendors, cybersecurity needs, or the intricate interdependencies of technology work. Digital Vanguard CIOs aiming to lead collaboratively must focus on clear communication and coaching CxOs to excel in these areas. 

Moreover, 80% of Digital Vanguard CIOs emphasize transforming IT processes and workflows to enable agile practices in business areas, compared to just 30% of other CIOs. To support this shift, CIOs should provide tailored technical guidance to Digital Vanguard CxOs, who greatly value IT expertise and recognize the critical need for assistance in architectural thinking and managing nonfunctional requirements. 

Action 3: Develop skills of business and technology users 

Like with fostering architectural awareness, Digital Vanguard CxOs are eager for CIOs to guide them in building their teams’ digital capabilities. They rely on CIOs to help train technology users, cultivate digital leadership within business units, establish communities of practice, and enhance AI proficiency among their staff. 

Interestingly, Digital Vanguard CxOs turn to IT rather than HR for support in developing these critical digital skills. This focus on skill-building outside IT not only enables CxOs to take greater ownership of digital initiatives but also helps address IT staff shortages. Ultimately, this collaborative approach boosts the success rate of digital initiatives across the organization. 

Action 4: Incubate and scale business innovation 

Investing in emerging technologies like AI, low-code/no-code development platforms, and industry cloud platforms is essential for digital business, but it alone doesn’t guarantee innovation. 

CxOs who co-own their digital initiatives expect IT to play a pivotal role in driving business innovation, beyond simply acquiring these platforms. They recognize that while such technologies form the foundation of modern digital innovation, leveraging them effectively to deliver business value requires collaboration with IT and guidance from the CIO. 

Leading the Way: How to Succeed with a Digital Vanguard Mindset

Embracing a Digital Vanguard mindset is not just about adopting the latest technologies—it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and strategic foresight. By empowering business leaders to co-own digital initiatives, enhancing technology skills across the organization, and leveraging IT as a strategic partner, organizations can position themselves as true leaders in the digital era. The journey requires more than just tools; it demands vision, alignment, and the ability to adapt to an ever-evolving landscape.

At CMC Global, we specialize in guiding organizations through every step of their digital transformation journey. From strategy development to technology implementation, we help clients unlock the full potential of digital innovation. Whether it’s building AI capabilities, enhancing digital skills, or creating tailored solutions for your unique challenges, CMC Global is here to help you lead with confidence in the digital age.

Let’s move forward together.