Reinvent: Navigating Business Transformation in a Hyperdigital Era

by Faisal Hoque

Overview

#1 WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
 
Silver for Best Business Book in the 2023 Globee® Awards for Business
The 21st Annual American Business Awards®

2023 Best Business Book of The Year | Silver Stevie Winner

Thinkers50 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award for Strategy Shortlist

14th Annual Awards | American Books Fest | 2023 International Book Awards
IBA Best Business Book in the Category of Business: Management and Leadership
 
2023 Global EBook Awards
Best Business Book | Gold Winner
 
PenCraft Seasonal Book Awards
2023 Summer Best Book | Business/Finance

The Journey to Organizational Transformation

Given the rate of change that we have experienced and will continue to see in the world, it’s a challenge trying to stay on top of everything. Organizations must consider revising and possibly scrapping decades-old habits, processes, and their very ways of thinking and operating. In so doing, organizations can literally reinvent themselves. 

Transformation requires much more than simply obtaining the latest technology, plugging it in, and sitting back to watch reinvention take place. From top to bottom, organizations will be compelled to change entire mindsets, attitudes, and assumptions about how they operate, how they can grow, and even the very reason for their existence.

This book introduces readers to ideas, concepts, and a comprehensive framework (LIFTS) that they can use to better position themselves and their organizations to reap the greatest number of benefits that business and digital transformation can afford. It’s a journey rich with promise that explains complex concepts in an understandable common language.

The book is divided into three distinct sections. The First section, “Why? The Case for Business Transformation in a Hyper-Digital Era,” makes the argument for organizational reinvention—from the changing nature of consumers to shifting workforce priorities to the necessity for greater organizational security.

The second section, “Transformation via Digitalization—Necessary Steps,” examines actions necessary to prepare for transformation, including overcoming significant obstacles, recognizing the essential value of leadership, and forecasting what your organization is likely to become in the future.

The final section, “What to Do: Navigating with LIFTS,” offers a comprehensive discussion of a five-step process geared to guiding your company through its transformation. Using the acronym LIFTS — learn, investigate, formulate, take off, and study—you’ll learn what goes into a successful transformative effort, including elements that, if overlooked, can sink otherwise solid planning.

REINVENT is the result of the author’s personal and professional journey — one that is made possible by three decades of work with colleagues, customers, partners, academics, and industry experts from around the globe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781639080427
Publisher:	Fast Company Press
Publication date:	07/04/2023
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	983,153
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, senior executive, author, thought leader, public speaker, and advisor to management teams and BODs with more than 25 years of cross-industry success. He is the founder of SHADOKA, NextChapter, and other companies. They focus on enabling sustainable and transformational changes.

Throughout his career, he has developed over 20 commercial business and technology platforms and worked with public and private sector giants such as US Department of Defense (DoD), GE, MasterCard, American Express, Northrop Grumman, CACI, PepsiCo, IBM, Home Depot, Netscape, Infosys, French Social Security Services, Gartner, Cambridge Technology Partners, JP Morgan Chase, CSC, and others. What sets Faisal apart is the unique position and perspective he has always maintained, which is grounded in hardcore technology with deep roots in leading-edge management science.

As a thought leader, he has authored a number of books on leadership, innovation, mindfulness, resilience, organizational transformation, and entrepreneurship, including Everything Connects – How to Transform and Lead in the Age of Creativity, Innovation and Sustainability. His work has appeared in Fast Company, Business Insider, Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Fox, CBS, Financial Times, Mergers & Acquisitions, Forbes, Leadership Excellence, and Huffington Post among other publications.

American Management Association (AMA) named him one of the Leaders to Watch. The editors of Ziff-Davis Enterprise named him one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Technology alongside leading entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Larry Page, and others. Trust Across America-Trust Around the World (TAA-TWA) named him one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders alongside global leaders such as Bill George, Doug Conant, Howard Schultz, and others.

His broad areas of expertise include innovation, leadership, management, sustainable growth, transformation, strategy, governance, M&A, frameworks, and digital platforms. A lifetime student of Eastern philosophies, he holds a strong belief that it is through knowledge sharing of our experiences that we may provide the greatest clarity on how to improve our collective future. As a globetrotter, he is passionate about people, culture, food, architecture, and loves to cook.

For more info, visit www.faisalhoque.com or follow him on Twitter @faisal_hoque and on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/faisalhoque/.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"REINVENT is conclusively a five-star business resource... It brims with well-matched case studies that bring the how-to's to life, making it a trustable and practical title." 
—READER VIEWS

"Illuminating guide to digital transformation for business leaders. In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, Hoque shares hard-won advice for forward-looking business leaders in a time of change, especially those managing digital transformations."
—BOOKLIFE by PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
 
"A discussion of organizational transformation that goes beyond quick fixes. In clear and fast-paced prose, REINVENT describes the seismic changes represented by things like digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning—always stressing that such developments are inevitable and potentially hugely valuable but also complex."
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
 
"REINVENT is a forward-looking, informative business guide that details the essentials of digital transformations."
—FOREWARD CLARION

"Hoque is not only a writer who understands business but one who understands people, and it's the partnership of mindset and framework that really sells this incredible book."
—READERS' FAVORITE

“With exponentially advancing technologies and COVID-type viruses, companies are going to have to adapt or perish. Faisal Hoque’s book REINVENT brilliantly illustrates how businesses can change their mindsets, attitudes, and assumptions about how they operate and thrive in the midst of change; it is an approachable guide to the art of business reinvention. Faisal explains complex concepts in a way that most people will be able to understand.”
—VIVEK WADHWA, award-winning academic; entrepreneur; former Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School, Carnegie Mellon School of Engineering, and Emory University and author of five best-selling books, including From Incremental to Exponential
 
“In my world, you either ‘learn to ski or get swept away by the avalanche.’ The avalanche in business is change—massive and coming faster and faster. As Faisal Hoque points out in REINVENT, the answer is more than adopting new digital tools—it requires changing the entire mindset of the organization to use those tools and learn how to deal with the ever-changing world.”
—HAP KLOPP, author and founder of The North Face
 
“A digital transformation ideally changes everything about how a company works. But it often fails to achieve this end, wasting considerable sums in the process. Faisal Hoque’s invaluable book REINVENT shows how such holistic change is especially necessary since the pandemic completely upended corporate America’s assumptions about its customers and employees. He tells us how to prepare for and then conduct a successful transformation, reminding us of the extreme importance of obtaining buy-in by everyone impacted—before embarking on the journey. CIOs like myself know that continuous change is exhausting, expensive, and difficult, and organizations can easily get sidelined into the technicalities of tool- and package-fitting. But Hoque also warns us against viewing technology as a savior able to correct everything wrong with an organization. This is a book I will consult again and again.”
—ATTI RIAZI, senior vice president and CIO, Hearst, and former assistant secretary general and chief information technology officer, United Nations
 
“If you are a leader driving business transformation, REINVENT is a must-read! Leaders who assume they understand the ramifications of technological change often focus on a select few silo issues. With REINVENT, Faisal Hoque points out that there’s so much more involved—from leadership itself to the value of understanding what the workforce of tomorrow is going to demand in the workplace. Read this book today!”
—DANIEL BURRUS, New York Times best-selling author of Flash Foresight and The Anticipatory Organization
 
“REINVENT is important and relevant reading for both established and new business leaders. Faisal Hoque shows how organizations can realize the promise inherent in new technologies without making the same mistakes that have dogged large transformation efforts in the past. The importance of this book lies in the author’s ability to show readers how technology-driven change requires new mindsets and new approaches. It lays out a road map for how to succeed in the realm of digital transformations.”
—ANANDHI BHARADWAJ, vice dean for faculty and research, Goizueta Endowed Chair in E-Commerce, and professor of information systems and operations management, Emory University
 
“Digital natives are often disruptors, but when it comes to traditional firms, the issue is more complex. We called it digital reinvention in our 2017 article in Sloan Management Review. Faisal Hoque not only chooses the term for his new book title, but he also eloquently helps debug one core myth about tech. That is that tech replaces everything, from replacing intermediaries by platforms and automating workers’ tasks to recommending what you watch on TikTok. What tech does not replace is management leadership to help augment an organization with technology in a way that companies become stronger (reinvented) with technologies. The author also provides a solid framework (LIFTS) that leaders would be wise to follow to thrive in the future.”
—JACQUES BUGHIN, CEO, Machaon Advisory; former senior partner, McKinsey and Company; senior advisor, United Nations, Antler, and Fortino Capital; and professor, Solvay Business School
 
“Reinvention is a decidedly challenging undertaking. Faisal Hoque’s REINVENT offers an easy-to-follow, comprehensive playbook so that companies and organizations can avoid the reinvention pitfalls that so many experience. Read this timely book—let it guide you and your chances of success are significantly strengthened.”
—SUBIR CHOWDHURY, chairman and CEO, ASI Consulting Group, LLC; best-selling author of The Difference; and named one of the 50 most influential management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50
 
“We as people and businesses have done nothing but transform for centuries. And in my lifetime, we have added the ability to form, create, and mold the digital aspects of our lives, our customers’ lives, what we build, create, maintain, and service. So where do we go the next ten, twenty, fifty years, and beyond? In centuries to come, how will people look back at our time and what was accomplished and missed? In this amazing book, we see the opportunities and the obligation we have to replicate past successes and do better. Enjoy!”
—MARNE MARTIN, chief strategy officer and global president, IFS, and one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Saas of 2022
 
“REINVENT is a timely playbook for leaders serious about positioning their organizations to successfully compete in the turbulent post-COVID economy. This latest book from Faisal Hoque is a valuable resource filled with powerful examples, deep insights, and practical advice. Leaders who can reinvent their organizations will not only succeed but will also thrive in these challenging times. Reinvention is not a destination; it’s a journey. Organizations must reinvent by incorporating the digital mindset, embracing highly collaborative leadership style, and creating an innovative culture with an empowered workforce. REINVENT is mandatory reading for those navigating this challenging, essential, and rewarding journey.”
—SHAMIM MOHAMMAD, executive vice president and chief information and technology officer, CarMax, and independent member of board of directors, UNFI
 
“It is no secret that most new products fail. Reinvention is key for long-term success, but efforts to reinvent fail even more. With his latest book, Faisal Hoque makes a convincing case for trying anyway, and, more importantly, offers the blueprint, examples, and best practices to succeed. A highly recommended read for your transformation journey!”
—CAN (JOHN) USLAY, PHD, vice dean of innovation and strategic partnerships and professor of marketing, Rutgers Business School
 
“Many books on digital transformation already feel dated. After all, most organizations have already made a big digitization push and have realized that their need for reinvention is ongoing. What Faisal Hoque has done with REINVENT is to acknowledge that transformation is more than digital or data; it is a wholesale cultural reinvention of the organization and its mission, along with its inner and outer relationships. What’s more, it is ongoing and iterative. Faisal’s expert guidance throughout the book is like having a trusted advisor at your side the whole way.”
—KATE O’NEILL, author of A Future So Bright and Tech Humanist; founder and chief tech humanist, KO Insights; and 2020 Thinkers50 Radar
 
“Technology is more than a fad or a requirement of businesses. In REINVENT, Faisal Hoque highlights the fact that mastering technology is essential to mastering business, period, and is directly related to business performance. It’s no longer possible to simply get by; thriving with technology is essential to thriving in business today. REINVENT is an essential guide to not only mastering technology but also to mastering business in the 21st Century.”
—DR. ERIC J. HOLSAPPLE, entrepreneur and author of Profit with Presence
 
“Modern businesses must navigate an unprecedented pace of change. And it’s just going to keep accelerating—exponential innovations in technology mean we will likely see more change in the next 10 years than in the past 100. Look no further than ChatGPT shocking the world at the end of 2022. Any company that wants to survive must master digital transformation. With REINVENT, Faisal Hoque gives leaders a blueprint to guide them in the momentous but necessary task of making transformation a core business competency—including how leaders need to overhaul their own mindsets and behaviors.”
—LARRY ENGLISH, CEO, Centric Consulting and Forbes contributor
 
“Author Faisal Hoque draws from his deep knowledge and extensive research to show how business digital transformation is not an option; it’s a requirement driven by humans to enhance both employee and customer experiences. REINVENT addresses two critical challenges for digital transformation: First, an organization’s leaders must be the driving force for meaningful digital improvements. Leaders must engage their workforce to create digital strategy and a participative culture to support transformational processes, priorities, and new ways of thinking, acting, and serving. Second, and building on this human element, REINVENT reassures readers that through a process of shared learning, investigation, review, and managing technology and business as ‘one,’ digital transformation can continually evolve to focus on an organization’s most important priorities—and not become a static, panacea solution doomed to fail!”
—CAROL A. POORE, PHD, author of Leadership in the Metaverse and Strategic Impact

Editorial Reviews

06/05/2023

In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, Hoque (LIFT: Fostering the Leader in You Amid Revolutionary Global Change) shares hard-won advice for forward-looking business leaders in a time of change, especially those managing digital transformations. These, Hoque notes, have “no fixed end point,” as technology is in constant flux. “Rather, is very much a journey, one characterized by constant reinvention, change, and, happily, opportunity.” To help guide that journey, Hoque presents the L.I.F.T.S. system (Learn, Investigate, Formulate, Take Off, and Study) as a tool to drive digital transformations with clear eyes, predictable outcomes, full understanding of the metrics and business uses of new technologies like AI, and an absence of waste.

Reinvent sets itself apart by recognizing that the present moment is already passing, as the present moment always does—and that the pace of change will only accelerate. Hoque urges readers and their businesses to be fast and flexible but also to implement strategies that ensure that adaptation isn’t reckless. He calls for leaders to be aware of the inevitable and constant changes in the way consumers engage with companies and purchase products, to “recraft” the employee experience for the remote-work present and future, to prioritize digital security, and to explore and embrace the possibilities of AI and machine learning in a host of innovative ways, for efficiency and calculating complex analytics, but also as security boon and a “pinch” hitter for missing staffers.

This well-organized, easy-to-follow guide is upbeat and informative, with clear take-aways after each chapter, specific nuts-and-bolts advice and tools for creating business value metrics and measuring the financial impact of new technologies on the bottom line, plus up-to-date forecasts of what’s coming next. As in previous books, Hoque’s an inviting writer, one quick to acknowledge the burdens on business leaders and offer adaptable suggestions for trying to facilitate change in potentially hidebound institutions.

Takeaway: Illuminating guide to digital transformation for business leaders.

Comparable Titles: Tony Saldanha’s Why Digital Transformations Fail, Isaac Sacolick’s Digital Trailblazer.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: A Editing: A Marketing copy: A

BookLife Review