Leading from the Top: Securing Executive Commitment for Lasting Change

Digital transformation is not just about upgrading technology; it requires a fundamental shift in mindset, touching every part of daily operations and can disrupt long-standing ways of working. Based on our experience, one of the most overlooked challenges during these types of transformations is not technology itself, but resistance to change. The difference between success and failure often comes down to one critical factor: effective change management led by top executives. When these leaders actively champion digital transformation with a clear vision and deliberate strategies, they influence the organizational mindset. Their active commitment helps build confidence, reduce resistance, and reframe transformation as an enabler for continuous growth. Without strong executive commitment, a structured plan, clear communication, and notable momentum, organizations risk falling short of meeting their objectives and realizing the full advantages of reaching an integrated level of digital maturity.

Translating top executives’ commitment into practice requires them to go beyond setting a strategy and becoming active communicators and role models. They must not only understand the changes being implemented, but they must also prepare the organization for adoption and feel confident in the upcoming changes so they can clearly communicate the “why” behind the transformation while being aware of the “how”. In addition, executives must be able to identify and empower managers across the organization so that they serve as the first “champions of change”. Their proximity to their teams positions them best to answer questions, address concerns, and demonstrate the benefits of any change in system or process to the people impacted by it. Executives’ active involvement with consistent, credible messaging across the organization helps sustain alignment and trust throughout the transformation.

The executive team may require guidance while interacting with diverse roles in the organization who are experiencing different stages of adoption as defined in our change management methodology: 1) I Know, 2) I Can, or 3) I Want, as shown in Figure 1. To maximize adoption in times of change, these leaders can apply our change management framework to help drive their teams from resistance and realization (“I Know”), to acceptance (“I Can”), and ultimately to ownership (“I Want”). Below is a quick guide with actionable tactics to get it done.

 

Resistance and Realization (“I Know”)

When change is first introduced, digital transformation efforts often disrupt established workflows and challenge deeply ingrained practices. Without a clear rationale for change and strong executive support, these efforts risk resistance and stagnation. To facilitate adoption, organizations should focus on helping employees realize the necessity of digital transformation by presenting compelling data that highlights the risks of maintaining the status quo compared to the benefits of embracing change, moving them into the “I Know” stage. Subsequently, executives should emphasize how mastering new digital solutions can support employees’ career growth, improve efficiency, and open doors to new opportunities within the organization.

Key points that must be addressed in this phase include:

• Communicate the why, who, and how: Top executives must clearly communicate the need for change and present a compelling vision for the future. Department heads and supervisors should be engaged early on to reinforce this message, translate it into practical terms for their teams, and ensure employees understand what is changing, why it matters, and how it impacts their specific roles.
• Set guiding principles: Establish foundational values, such as user-centered design, transparency, continuous learning, and collaboration, that shape how decisions are made throughout the change process. These principles should be shared with all involved teams, including leadership, design, development, implementation and user groups, to ensure alignment and maintain consistency, especially in times of uncertainty.
• Establishing clear governance structure: Define formal structures, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making frameworks to guide the transformation. Governance ensures leadership alignment, resource allocation, risk management, and accountability, reducing ambiguity and enabling faster, more confident action.

In the context of a health plan in Florida, the company developed a strategic plan to take their operation to the next level, where digitalization of sales processes was a critical lever. The executives driving the strategic plan engaged peers and company managers early on, as champions of change, ensuring alignment around a shared vision: leveraging digital solutions to strengthen compliance, visibility and sales effectiveness. Maintaining executive and managerial stakeholders engaged consisted of designing recurrent communication forums and proactive follow-ups, which helped build trust, clarify expectations, and maintain momentum. Engaging this stakeholder group early ensured alignment and set the tone for broader organizational buy-in. This purposeful design of communication elements before implementing change and establishing a compelling vision are crucial for effectively navigating the initial stage of the digital transformation.
digital transformation.

Acceptance (“I Can”)

During the acceptance phase, employees may feel uncertain, disengaged, or even resistant, fearing the loss of familiar processes while struggling to see the value in the new way of working. If not managed effectively, this stage can lead to decreased morale and productivity. To mitigate these risks, organizations should focus on reinforcing the “I Know” stage while enabling employees to progress into the “I Can” stage by helping them feel empowered. To achieve this, executives must ensure the organization is provided with the necessary tools, resources, and ongoing support so that individuals can build confidence, develop new skills, and recognize how they can succeed in the transformed environment.

Key points that must be addressed in this phase include:

• Identify and empower change champions: Executives should intentionally select trusted employees from all impacted areas, ensuring they feel empowered, heard, and recognized as integral contributors. By designating these individuals as change champions, organizations can generate momentum, reinforce leadership commitment, and foster peer-driven engagement that motivates the entire team to embrace the transformation.
• Provide training and coaching: Implement a structured training plan using multiple learning mode workshops, tutorial videos, and user manuals to ensure accessibility for all employees affected by the change. Complement this with leader-to-leader coaching and targeted skills training to help employees understand new responsibilities and tools. Together, these reduce uncertainty, build confidence, and accelerate adoption across the organization.
• Enable capacity during transition: Top executives should ensure impacted stakeholders have the capacity required to execute the transformation while maintaining continuity of day-to-day operations. This includes evaluating new responsibilities and realigning workloads in line with transformation priorities. By doing so, executives will create conditions for success and foster an environment where stakeholders can contribute confidently without fear of failure.

During the implementation of a mobile application to record leads and track shift attendance for a renewable energy company, the implementation team faced challenges in the first month as users did not immediately see the added benefits. Adoption was particularly affected by the team’s diverse demographics and roles, as well as gaps in training and inconsistent supervision from leaders. Most issues stemmed from a lack of knowledge on how to use the application.

To address this, the team quickly implemented training sessions, video tutorials, and user manuals to help users understand the app’s capabilities and provided a dedicated forum for questions. Change champions were also identified across different markets and regions, enabling peer-to-peer support at offices. Consistent communication kept users informed about updates, enhancements, and potential issues, maintaining engagement and minimizing disruptions to daily operations. By implementing these initiatives, the team increased adoption to 90% within the first month.

 

Ownership (“I Want”)

As digital transformation progresses, executives play a critical role in turning initial adoption into lasting commitment. When these leaders consistently use new digital solutions, celebrate successes, and link the transformation to the organization’s mission, they help employees view it not as an imposed system or enhancement, but to achieve greater impact and efficiency. With benefits becoming tangible, employees move from just following the process to actively leveraging the digital solution in their own work. They not only integrate new practices into their routines but also begin to champion them. This shift marks the “I Want” stage, where employees are not only using the solution to make their jobs easier, but also because they see their executive team valuing it, using it, and making it central to the organization’s future.

Key points that must be addressed in this phase include:

• Rewards and recognition: Celebrate collective achievements and incentivize groups or employees who actively support the transformation. This can include public acknowledgment in meetings or communications, as well as tangible incentives like bonuses or promotions. Defining corrective mechanisms can also help address those behaviors or results that do not support the transformation. Combining these approaches strengthens engagement and sustains commitment.
• Ongoing support and feedback loops: Ensure continued access to tools, training, and channels for feedback to help employees stay engaged and address emerging challenges. All while phasing out previous processes, tools, and ways of working, by either increasing friction, limiting their access or completely cutting ties.
• Monitor key metrics: Track adoption rates, performance indicators, and user engagement to ensure changes are being implemented, used effectively, and delivering expected results.

When a state procurement agency introduced a new digital solution, adoption did not happen overnight. What made the difference was a deliberate change management approach.

Employees received hands-on training that built confidence, while the solution’s design clearly highlighted benefits such as faster response times and more cases managed per employee, helping them see how it would simplify their work. Executives also tackled resistance directly, turning skeptics into advocates by listening to their concerns and involving them as part of the solution. This was accomplished by creating spaces for users to provide feedback and then giving them updates as they were addressed.

To celebrate progress, the agency launched a “Buyers Week”, where employees were publicly recognized for their efforts and where the overall transformation was made visible through status updates and results dashboards. Over time, these efforts shifted the culture. What initially felt unfamiliar became second nature, and the new way of working evolved into an essential part of the agency’s success.

Conclusion

Effective communication, a strong sense of partnership, and consistent commitment on behalf of executives are the common thread that ties all phases of digital transformation together. From establishing urgency and direction in the early stages, to building trust and clarity during uncertainty, and finally reinforcing momentum in making it clear that the involvement of these leaders is key to long-term success.

Notably, the role of the executive team evolves across these stages. While heavily involved at the start, setting the vision, structure, and expectations, their presence gradually shifts as empowered employees, managers, and change champions take greater ownership of the transformation.

The ultimate sign of a successful digital transformation is not just adoption, it’s normalization. Success is when employees no longer remember how things used to be done and fully embrace the new solutions and processes as second nature. When strong leadership is paired with clear communication and phased support, organizations can foster lasting change, where innovation thrives and the past becomes a distant memory.

At V2A Consulting, we help organizations turn digital transformation into measurable results through strategic planning, AI-driven innovation, and effective change management.

Interested in learning how to accelerate your organization’s digital maturity?
Contact us to explore how we can help your organization lead change with confidence.