Our leadership guide for navigating the AI and risk era

• PD today launches our latest book Shaping Technology for Transformation

• The book brings together ten articles from PD experts, exploring how leaders can regain control of technology decisions and build adaptable, resilient organisations

• It offers a practical leadership guide to long term technological strength, managing AI adoption responsibly, and building resilience in the face of disruption.

PD today launches Shaping Technology for Transformation, a new leadership guide arguing that, in the age of AI and rising operational risk, technology transformation is fundamentally a leadership challenge, not a tools problem.

As organisations accelerate AI adoption while grappling with layers of legacy infrastructure, cyber threats and growing operational fragility, many are finding that technology alone cannot deliver meaningful change. This book sets out why successful use of technology depends on leadership decisions, governance, culture and organisational design.

Bringing together insights from PD’s senior practitioners, the book offers practical lessons for executives seeking to regain control of technology decisions and build businesses capable of adapting at pace and recovering when things go wrong. Throughout the book, organisational strength is likened to a “muscle” determined by its adaptability in the face of change, and resilience to withstand shocks. Chapters explore themes including legacy system risk, digital sovereignty, portfolio management, crisis leadership and how to embed a test-and-learn culture that enables your business to navigate an unpredictable landscape.

Edited by Dai Vaughan, PD’s Chief Technology Officer, the book draws on his deep expertise as a founding member of the Government Digital Service who helped build GOV.UK and now advises senior leaders on large-scale digital reform.

Dai said: 

“Technology is now a fundamental part of how every organisation operates. But for too long we’ve treated it as a side problem or an inconvenient cost centre to be managed by the IT team.

"Success in the modern world doesn’t mean chasing the next technology trend, but building an organisation that can confidently adapt and navigate constant change, while being resilient to withstand and recover from inevitable shocks.

This book is a practical guide for leaders who want to build this capability, understand their business better and take back control from legacy systems and processes.’’

Shaping Technology for Transformation forms the final instalment in our three-part leadership series and reflects our wider work helping organisations and governments globally to modernise, strengthen digital capability and deliver meaningful transformation.