Technology Insights

Five essentialleadership insightsfrom CES 2019.

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The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) jumpstartsthe year in technology, and 2019’s extravaganzasaw the launch of thousands of new products,services, and technologies that will soon maketheir way into our work and personal lives. Beyondthe hype, leaders need to understand anddecisively act upon the organizational and talentimplications of the latest technology-driven trends.Based on conversations with multiple tech CEOs,investors, and innovators, and from walking thehalls of CES, we have distilled five key insights thatcan help leaders stay ahead of the technologycurve.

People > Tech.Sure, the robots are coming and there’s a chancewe’ll all be out of a job within 10 years, but thebiggest takeaway from CES was the people, notthe technology. The energy was palpable, theideas were big and audacious, and the passion tomake the world or their customers’ lives betterwas inspiring. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget thatbehind every great technology is an army ofinventors, engineers, salespeople, and leaders thatmakes it all happen.

The challenge for leaders is understanding howthese roles are changing as technology evolves,and how to organize, inspire, and develop thetalent needed to spur innovation and createtechnology-driven competitive advantage. Checkout our research on “The Future of Work” to learnmore about the practical steps that leaders cantake to position their organizations and talentahead of the technology curve.

5G changes everything.There is always some element of overhyping theimpact of new technologies during their earlydays. And while several influential technologyleaders we spoke with have very real concernsabout the strategic 5G bets some organizations

are making, there is no question that 5G willdirectly or indirectly impact all organizations. Thisis not so much due to the 5G networks themselvesthan the impact of the innovative services that willrun on these implausibly high-speed datasuperhighways.

In the short to medium term, there will be majorshortages of the specific talent needed toimplement and take advantage of 5G, like telcoand AI engineers, which will put pressure onorganizations’ staffing capabilities, employee valuepropositions, and compensation structures. Morebroadly, great leaders will determine the bigwinners and losers, and our extensive recentexperience is that the most forward-lookingtechnology organizations are redefining next-generation leadership, re-evaluating current andhigh-potential leaders against that profile, andproactively addressing gaps through targetedleadership acquisition and development. Truly,leadership changes everything. Learn more aboutKorn Ferry’s perspective on the talent implicationsof 5G here.

Open source wins.Apple’s decision to offer services on third-partyplatforms and products seems to have signaledthe end of the company’s über-successful “walledgarden” strategy of an integrated hardware andsoftware ecosystem. Open-source ecosystems andpartnerships were also a big theme across CES,with hundreds of companies offering betterproducts and services by utilizing sharedplatforms or going to market together.

This has huge implications from an organizational,culture, and leadership perspective, because thoseorganizations that can’t play nice with others willstruggle. Conversely, organizations that are built toseamlessly interact with a broad range of partnersand even “frenemies” (i.e., organizations thatcompete in some markets and partner in others,

Technology Insights

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About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizationalconsulting firm. We help clientssynchronize strategy and talent to drivesuperior performance. We work withorganizations to design their structures,roles, and responsibilities. We help themhire the right people to bring theirstrategy to life. And we advise them onhow to reward, develop, and motivatetheir people.

such as Apple and Samsung)—and have leadersand cultures that promote and reward this mindsetand such behaviors—will create vast innovationand new business opportunities. Technologyleaders need to conduct an honest analysis oftheir organization’s ability to operate within anopen-source ecosystem, and reset expectationsand prioritize improvements where appropriate.

Hey Google.Google was everywhere at CES: on billboards, inthe primary real estate at the Las VegasConvention Center, plastered all over the city’smonorail, and even among the crowd in the formof ubiquitous, white-uniformed human “GoogleAssistants.” The company certainly went big withpromoting its digital assistant and AI platform,chasing down Amazon’s first-mover advantage.

AI-powered digital assistants are coming to ahome or car near you in every guise you canimagine, but these tools are also becoming part ofthe future workplace. And while a 2018 Korn Ferrysurvey suggests professionals are comfortablewith AI being used to improve talent processes,the overwhelming majority still believe people arecentral to effective outcomes and experiences.

The space is evolving quickly, but imagine yourfront-line managers being able to get real-timesituational coaching simply by saying “Hey Google,my team has had a tough couple of weeks closingthe quarter. How can I recognize and motivatethem?” or “Cortana, I need to find someone with alot of experience leading complex projects. Canyou suggest some candidates?” One ready-nowexample is Korn Ferry’s AI virtual interviewcoaching app, which helps job seekers practiceand fine-tune their interview skills using theircellphones.

The mobility advantage.Mobility is a huge technology trend in 2019.Legacy automobile and transportation behemothsare working with technology giants and start-upsto develop fully integrated mobility services thatget you where you want to go and access serviceson the move. The role of Silicon Valley within theglobal technology universe may also be in motion.We spoke with leaders who believe that the mostdisruptive and audacious innovations are takingplace outside the Valley, in disparate countriessuch as France, Israel, and China. Perhaps thetraditional technology mothership is becomingmore of a trendsetter, mentor, and investor.

Talent mobility is also a hot topic in thetechnology space, both for businesses and

employees. As knowledge roles becomesimultaneously more complex and fluid,organizations need talent to become morefungible. To facilitate this, organizations need tocreate an efficient clearinghouse for talent andfoster a better understanding and taxonomy ofwork and talent. Through an employee’s lens,expectations are also changing. For example,many people want to work on different projects, indifferent parts of the organization, and underdifferent leaders. Leaders should be consideringhow improved talent mobility can enable andimpact performance, innovation, and talentengagement and retention.

Closing thoughts.The planning and anticipation for CES 2020 isalready underway, but the mega-trends behind thehype are always in motion. These trends directlyand meaningfully impact the organizations,leaders, and talent behind the headline-grabbingtechnology, which makes understanding andacting on them a requirement of today’s bestleaders.

Lee EslerBoard & CEO PracticeLeader, Technology,Managing Director, NA+1 404 222 4055lee.esler@kornferry.com

Paul DinanSenior Client PartnerAdvisory Leader, GlobalTechnology Market+1 312 544 4451paul.dinan@kornferry.com