The Four Strategic Mindsets
In the book "Disrupt Your Mindset to Transform Your Business with Big Data", Pernille Rydén, Per Østergaard Jacobsen, and I describe four dominant strategic leadership mindsets. These mindsets determine how companies engage with their customers – and, in turn, how and which new digital technologies should be applied:
1. Promote and Sell
An internally focused approach, where products and services are aggressively promoted to the market. (e.g., Ryan Air, Saxo, Temu).
2. Listen and Learn
A market-oriented approach based on continuous insight into customer behaviour and preferences. (e.g., Coop App, Nemlig, and Starbucks).
3. Connect and Collaborate
A proactive approach where customers are involved in the development of products and services. (e.g., LEGO, Ikea Co-create, DeWalt Insight Community, and Roccamore Facebook Groups).
4. Empower and Engage
A holistic approach that integrates People, Planet, Purpose alongside product and profit, where the company sees itself as a responsible corporate citizen. (e.g., Too Good to Go, Social Foodies, and Patagonia).
In fact, it is the leadership's strategic mindset that determines whether existing or new digital technologies should be used.