Holding out for a (digital) hero, some useful tips

By Declan Goodman, who is a digital transformation consultant, speaker and creator of the Digital Mythology® framework, which uses mythic storytelling to help leaders explain complex change in a more human way. 

The Hero Digital Transformation Actually Needs

Many digital transformations seek a mythical hero, a brave warrior to make bold statements and apply strong principles to shape the organisation’s digital North Star. The expectation is that good digital leadership is about strength and brute force, steeped in a ‘fortune favours the brave’ kind of bravado. However, in my 30 years working in digital transformation, I have found that the ‘warrior’ is not the hero we need for digital success; rather the real hero we need is the ‘meaning-maker’.

This is where mythology offers a practical lens. Mythology has always helped people navigate uncertainty and turn complexity into something human. It helps people understand where they are, what is happening and what comes next. It also teaches us that the most powerful figures are not always the ones who fight, rather, they are the ones who help others see their part in the transformation by making it meaningful.

Here are some examples of how you can use myth to be the hero that your organisation really needs, by telling the story of digital transformation in a more human-led way.

Example 1: The Mirror (Amaterasu)

In Japanese mythology, the sun goddess Amaterasu withdrew into a cave after being disrespected by her brother Susanoo, whose reckless actions destroyed her world. When she withdrew, the world fell into darkness; even the gods couldn’t convince her to come out. It was only when they held up a mirror, reflecting her own brilliance back to her, did she step forward and immediately restored the light.

This is a powerful lesson for digital transformation, because people don’t disengage due to a lack of capability, rather they disengage when they no longer feel valued. In many organisations, the talent you need is already there, it just isn’t motivated to participate. This is where the real hero, the meaning-maker works best. They create the conditions where people feel seen again, thus making them feel valued, restoring their motivation to engage.

Practical ways to apply this include identifying where your team’s capability is being overlooked and tease it out, using storytelling to conjure visibility and sponsorship (not just communication) and listening to the lived experience of your team rather than paying attention to their titles.

Example 2: The Navigator (Sanjaya)

In the Indian epic Mahabharata, Sanjaya could see the entire battlefield end to end. However, seeing was not the point, the point was to make sense of what was happening, at a big-picture level, and use this information to help others understand how to navigate the terrain. He gave meaning to the battle, by mapping the tactics to the strategy in a clear manner. This kept his army and sponsors engaged. Sanjaya brought meaning to an otherwise chaotic endeavour.

Similarly, in digital transformation, your business analysts and architects act as meaning-makers by helping people understand why the digital change matters.

Practical ways to apply this include involving business analysts in shaping the story early (to influence), focusing on the meaning behind the requirements (the ‘why’) and positioning architects as guides, not just designers of what is possible.

Example 3: The Skald (Storytellers)

In Norse tradition, skalds were more than poets – they were trusted storytellers who shaped how people understood their world. Their stories carried meaning across generations, preserving identity, values and culture. They treated story as a strategic tool for aligning their people to their long-term goals. This again is an example of the heroic meaning-maker.

In digital transformation, your strategy and roadmap can only stay relevant and maintain meaning if they are shared as stories, not slides or large posters. People follow stories they can understand and see themselves in, and it’s the meaning-maker’s job is to make sure the story is relatable.

Practical ways to apply this include telling your digital transformation strategy as a story (not just a plan), showing people where they are in the journey (and what comes next) and turning your roadmap into something people can see themselves in (giving them a role to play).

Digital transformation doesn’t need more warriors; it needs more meaning-makers. It needs the art of storytelling to help people understand where they are, why transformation matters and how they belong in what is to come next.

When you lead as a navigator like Sanjaya, hold up the mirror like Amaterasu or shape the narrative like the Norse skald, you don’t just lead transformation – you become the hero of your own story. Using mythology in this way empowers your transformation to become something people want to engage with, because in the end, people are not moved by plans, they are moved by meaning.

Become the meaning-maker. Tell the story. Make your digital transformation a story people want to be part of.

Helping leaders make sense of digital transformation through story, myth and meaning | Gartner Symposium Speaker | Founder, Digital Mythology®

Declan Goodman is a digital transformation consultant, speaker and creator of the Digital Mythology® framework, which uses mythic storytelling to help leaders explain complex change in a more human way. With nearly 30 years’ experience across digital strategy, transformation and enterprise architecture in Ireland, Europe and Australia, he hosts the Digital Mythology® podcast and delivers masterclasses on storytelling, leadership and digital transformation.

www.declangoodman.com | Socials | Digital Mythology® | declan@declangoodman.com

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