But what exactly is “dual transformation”? And what is “ambidextrous leadership”?

Ambidextrous leaders are those who can effectively manage what might appear to be opposing forces within an organisation, under two broad categories: exploration and exploitation. ‘Exploration’ involves activities related to innovation, creativity, research and development, experimenting with new ideas, willingness to venture into uncharted territory and having a risk appetite for discovering new opportunities. ‘Exploitation’ emphasises efficiency, optimisation, streamlining processes, improving existing products or services, maximising the value of existing resources and driving profitability. The idea of ambidextrous leadership is to empower leaders to balance both exploration and exploitation in a successful way.

Ambidextrous leadership is what drives dual transformation.

Dual transformation is a strategy used to deal with big changes in an organisation in two different ways but simultaneously. One is that the organisation focuses on improving its existing business such as updating processes or finding new ways to serve customers better. The other is about creating something entirely new including exploring new markets or developing innovative products for the future.

Many CEOs acknowledge the struggles of implementing dual transformation, primarily due to a lack of senior leaders capable of driving such initiatives, and a staggering 80% of Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) globally report issues in recruiting talent who have the ability to navigate the complexities of dual transformation. To address this challenge, organisations seek to hire ambidextrous leaders externally, but soon find that such leaders are rare and highly sought after, making them difficult to secure. They also often find that these leader types struggle to collaborate effectively, which slows down organisational progress. Another approach has been to place ambidextrous leaders in strategic roles and optimisation leaders in functional ones, but this too tends to be unsuccessful as functional leaders generally don’t effectively support strategic initiatives. Ultimately, most organisational leaders come to realise that developing a sufficient pool of ambidextrous leaders internally is the most viable solution, as relying solely on external recruitment proves ineffective.

This opportunity with Prof. Ric Roi will help you build skills that are essential for dual transformation, including the ability to uncover new revenue streams through innovative business models, exercise creative imagination, build a propensity to experiment, establish a willingness to engage stakeholders informally, support and empower their teams and develop the courage to take big leaps. Ric’s studies emphasise the crucial need for ambidextrous leaders to drive today’s dual transformation challenges effectively.

Attendees are invited to register and receive a link to complete IMD’s Strategic Talent Solutions assessment. This tool is designed to help leaders identify their strengths and areas for growth, translating these insights into personalised development plans. These plans are part of a structured growth journey, where progress is systematically tracked and monitored, setting leaders on the path to becoming the ambidextrous leaders that today’s businesses critically need.