Can IT Companies Adopt Braided Leadership to Address the Gap Between Front End and Back End Teams?

While braided leadership development can equip front-end and back-end teams with valuable skills, the specific competencies acquired may influence their suitability for different leadership roles. Organisations should recognise these nuances and provide targeted development opportunities to ensure that all talented individuals have the chance to reach their full leadership potential.

IT service companies can undoubtedly adopt the braided leadership model to address gaps between their front-end (client-facing functions like sales, consulting, and support) and back-end (technology, infrastructure, software development). Given the nature of IT services, where technical expertise and customer understanding are crucial for success, this model can be a game-changer.

How IT Service Companies Can Benefit from a Braided Leadership Model

In today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, companies find that traditional, hierarchical leadership models may no longer meet the demands of complex, client-centred service delivery. Instead, many IT service companies adopt a braided leadership model. This collaborative approach provides diverse leadership roles across client-facing and technical teams. This model fosters seamless communication between consultants, project managers, and technical experts, enhancing responsiveness, customisation, and innovation in client solutions. By aligning strategic goals with technical capabilities, a braided leadership structure enables IT companies to deliver on client expectations more effectively, drive faster service delivery, and stay competitive in a dynamic market.

1. Improved Client Solutions and Delivery: IT service companies can improve the alignment between customer expectations and technical delivery by integrating the leadership between client-facing teams (consultants, project managers, account managers) and technical teams (developers, system architects, and cybersecurity experts). The outcome is better solutions that align more closely with client needs, fewer miscommunications, and improved project success rates.

2. Faster Time-to-Market for Services: A braided model allows for faster innovation by ensuring that new services, products, or solutions are technologically feasible and customer usability. The continuous feedback loop between client requirements and technical teams helps in faster iteration and delivery. Reducing time-to-market for new service offerings, ensuring the company stay competitive.

3. Enhancing Agility and Flexibility: With cross-functional collaboration, IT service companies can respond more quickly to client demands and market changes. A braided leadership model enables a seamless response when scaling services, adopting new technologies, or implementing large-scale changes for clients. It provides greater flexibility to adjust services and solutions based on client feedback or contextualisation of emerging technologies like AI, automation, and cloud computing.

4. Boosting Innovation and Customisation: IT service companies often serve clients across various industries with diverse needs. A braided model allows innovation to flourish as front-end leadership brings insights from clients while back-end leadership ensures the technical feasibility of proposed solutions. Thus, the development of more customised and innovative service offerings that meet client-specific needs.

Fundamental Structural Changes for IT Service Companies

As IT service companies navigate an increasingly complex landscape, adopting structural changes is essential to foster collaboration, improve client satisfaction, and enhance project outcomes. Transitioning from traditional silos, companies are exploring integrated leadership roles and task forces that bridge client-facing and technical teams, creating cohesive approaches to service delivery. By restructuring KPIs, embedding cross-functional teams, and implementing feedback loops, organisations encourage alignment across departments, ensuring projects are both technically sound and aligned with client needs. Leadership development programs focused on cross-domain expertise also cultivate leaders who understand the full spectrum of client engagement and technical requirements, positioning IT service companies for sustainable growth and seamless client solutions.

1. Create Joint Leadership Roles or Task Forces: Establish leadership roles that span front-end and back-end functions. For example, a Chief Service Officer Or Customer Success Officer (CSO) oversees client engagement and technical service delivery. Alternatively, cross-functional task forces or “innovation pods” can be created where front-end and back-end leaders co-own specific client projects or service innovations. It will break down traditional silos and encourage integrated decision-making, especially for large and complex projects.

2. Revise KPIs to Encourage collaboration: Align performance metrics and KPIs to reward collaborative success rather than individual departmental achievements. For example, instead of measuring sales success based on revenue alone, include metrics such as delivery success rates, customer satisfaction, and technical feasibility. It incentivises front-end and back-end leaders to work together to deliver successful, high-quality, technically sound projects that meet client needs.

3. Embed Cross-Functional Teams in Client Projects: Embed leaders from client-facing and technical teams in crucial client accounts or projects. Teams should consist of account managers, project managers, and technical leads who co-own the project lifecycle, from sales and scoping to implementation and maintenance. It ensures that client solutions are feasible, scalable, and aligned with customer needs throughout the project lifecycle.

4. Implement Continuous Feedback Loops: Create a formal process for continuous feedback loops between the client-facing teams and the back-end. Client satisfaction and feedback should flow directly into technical teams. Back-end and front-end teams ensure that projects and services remain aligned with client expectations and available technology, fostering better long-term client relationships and minimising costly project failures.

5. Focus on Leadership Development with Cross-Domain Expertise: Develop leadership programs encouraging cross-pollinating skills and knowledge between client-facing and technical teams. A leader’s exposure to opportunities in roles covering business development, consulting, and technology will help to gain a more holistic understanding of the organisation. It will create a future pool of leaders adept at managing client relationships and technical delivery, ensuring smoother succession planning and a more integrated leadership approach.

6. Strengthen Data and Transparency Systems: Adopt tools and platforms that provide visibility into the client project lifecycle. Data from CRM to project management tools should be accessible to front-end and back-end teams. For example, platforms like Jira or Salesforce can enable better transparency in sales efforts and technical execution. Leaders from both sides can make informed decisions based on real-time data, improving accountability and ensuring all teams are aligned to deliver the best client outcomes.

Thus by adopting the braided leadership model, IT service companies can overcome traditional silos and create more collaborative, innovative, and client-centric services. To successfully transition, they should focus on joint leadership roles, aligned KPIs, cross-functional teams, and leadership development. With these structural changes, IT service companies can better respond to client demands, innovate faster, and maintain a competitive edge. The pressure on managerial roles has intensified due to increased complexity because of globalisation, technological advancements, and evolving customer expectations. Also, businesses face greater complexity, leading to a faster pace of change in the business environment with constant changes, thus requiring leaders to be agile and adaptable. Finally, talent shortages, i.e., finding and retaining skilled leaders, are a significant challenge for many organisations.

Is Braided Leadership Model for Every Organisation?

Braided leadership development programs address these challenges by providing managers with the skills, knowledge, and support they need to succeed in demanding leadership roles. While braided leadership development offers numerous benefits, it’s important to acknowledge potential drawbacks:

• Cost and Time Commitment: These programs can be expensive and time-consuming, requiring significant investment from the organisation and the participants.

• Implementation Challenges: Designing and implementing an effective braided program requires careful planning and coordination.

• Not Suitable for Everyone: This approach may not suit all individuals or organisations. Some managers may prefer a more traditional, linear approach to learning.

Despite these challenges, the benefits of braided leadership development programs far outweigh the drawbacks, especially in today’s dynamic business environment. These programs help organisations develop a strong leadership pipeline and ensure their future success by equipping managers with the necessary skills, knowledge, and networks.

How Successful Companies Are Using the Braided Leadership Model?

The braided leadership model has become a powerful approach for companies navigating complex, rapidly changing environments. By integrating leaders from both client-facing and technical roles, organisations can harness a wide range of expertise to drive innovation, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Companies like Amazon, Netflix, and Salesforce have successfully adopted this model, blending business and technical leadership to streamline decision-making, enhance agility, and foster collaboration across departments. This approach benefits current operations and strengthens succession planning by developing leaders capable of bridging diverse areas. Similarly, industries such as banking, healthcare, automotive, retail, and telecommunications benefit from the braided model, where cross-functional alignment can drive growth, improve customer experiences, and keep pace with technological advancements. Let us examine how organisations successfully are using a Braided Leadership Model:

1. Amazon

- How They Use It: Amazon’s ability to seamlessly integrate (complex logistics, supply chain management, and AWS infrastructure) is a prime example of braided leadership. Leaders from the business and technical sides collaborate closely to drive operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and innovation.

- Outcome: This braided approach allows Amazon to scale quickly, innovate continuously, and maintain a robust customer-centric focus while handling a highly complex back-end. It has led to success in Amazon Prime, AWS, and Amazon Go stores.

- Succession Planning Strategy: Amazon emphasises leadership development and runs various training programs, such as the Amazon Leadership Principles, which runs deep in their culture. It ensures that future leaders can handle the organisation’s technical and business sides.

2. Netflix

- How They Use It: Netflix operates with an integrated leadership model that closely ties its content production (front end) with its technology and data platform (back end). The synergy between entertainment and engineering is critical to Netflix’s success. The company leverages data to inform creative decisions and tailors user experiences through its robust recommendation engine.

- Outcome: This braided approach ensures Netflix can push innovative features like personalised content, optimise streaming services, and create original content with massive global appeal. The balance between technology leadership and creative vision is a hallmark of their success.

- Succession Planning Strategy: Netflix emphasises a culture of transparency and high performance, promoting leaders who excel in creativity and data-driven decision-making. Their Keeper Test helps identify strong leaders while encouraging continuous development.

3. Salesforce

- How They Use It: Salesforce integrates its product and customer-facing functions with its vital technical infrastructure. The collaboration between product management (front-end) and engineering (back-end) is crucial to their innovation and customer-centric strategy.

- Outcome: Salesforce has successfully built a platform integrating customer relationship management (CRM), artificial intelligence (AI), and analytics to serve multiple industries. The continuous integration of feedback from the customer-facing and technical teams enables rapid iteration of their products.

- Succession Planning Strategy: Salesforce fosters leadership through initiatives like the Trailhead Learning Platform, which develops future leaders within the company, encouraging business and technical growth.

Let me also discuss organisations that could find success with a Braided Leadership Model:

1. Legacy Banks (e.g., Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase)

- Why It Could Work: Traditional banks face challenges in adopting new technologies while maintaining customer trust. To modernise services, a braided leadership model would integrate customer-facing financial products (front-end) with back-end infrastructure, such as cloud computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

- Potential Outcome: By fostering collaboration between tech and business teams, these banks could improve digital banking experiences, develop personalised financial products, and maintain security and compliance. It would accelerate their transition into the era of fintech.

2. Healthcare Providers (e.g., Kaiser Permanente, UnitedHealth Group)

- Why It Could Work: Healthcare organisations often have fragmented leadership between clinical (front-end) and technology/operations (back-end) functions. A braided leadership approach would bridge the gap between patient care and the underlying tech infrastructure (electronic health records, telemedicine, data analytics).

- Potential Outcome: This model could enable providers to offer more integrated, patient-centric care, improving outcomes and efficiency through predictive analytics and seamless digital patient experiences. It would also enhance operational effectiveness in billing and insurance claims.

3. Automotive Companies (e.g., General Motors, Ford)

- Why It Could Work: The automotive industry is transforming technologically, with trends like electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous driving, and connected cars. A braided leadership model would integrate product design and manufacturing (front-end) with software engineering and artificial intelligence development (back-end).

Potential Outcome: By adopting this approach, companies like General Motors and Ford could enhance their ability to compete in the evolving landscape, balancing innovation in car design with technological advances like self-driving features and in-car connectivity. It could lead to more agile, competitive strategies in the face of competition from Tesla and other tech-driven automakers.

4. Retail Giants (e.g., Walmart, Target)

- Why It Could Work: Retailers like Walmart and Target increasingly blend physical stores with digital channels to offer omnichannel experiences. A braided leadership model would integrate store operations and supply chain (front-end) with e-commerce and data analytics (back-end).

- Potential Outcome: By fostering collaboration between these functions, these retailers could better predict consumer demand, manage inventory in real-time, and enhance personalised shopping experiences, making them more competitive against pure e-commerce players like Amazon.

5. Telecommunications (e.g., AT&T, Verizon)

- Why It Could Work: In the face of evolving technologies like 5G and IoT, telecom companies must align customer-facing services with back-end infrastructure advancements. A braided leadership model would better align network operations (back-end) and customer service product development (front-end).

- Potential Outcome: The result could be faster rollouts of new services like 5G, enhanced customer experiences, and new business models (e.g., smart cities, connected devices), enabling them to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.

Forward-thinking organisations like Amazon, Netflix, and Salesforce have successfully employed the braided leadership model to bridge the technical and business leadership gap. These brands embody the braided leadership approach by harmonising strategic, customer-focused, and operational strengths to create resilient and innovative business models prioritising customer success and sustainable growth.

In Conclusion:

This model fosters innovation, collaboration, and better decision-making. Legacy industries such as banking, healthcare, automotive, retail, and telecommunications can benefit significantly by adopting this model, addressing leadership gaps, enhancing agility, and preparing for the future. Braided leadership is more than just collaboration; it’s about weaving diverse skills and perspectives together to create a solid and adaptable leadership fabric.

Let’s explore how financial insight, innovation, customer success, and a focus on recovery and growth are integral threads in this leadership tapestry.

1. Financial Acumen

• Beyond Budgets: Braided leaders with financial acumen go beyond basic budgeting. They understand how financial decisions impact the organisation’s overall strategy and growth trajectory.
• Data-Driven Decisions: They utilise financial data to inform strategic choices, optimise resource allocation, and measure various initiatives’ return on investment (ROI).
• Value Creation: They focus on creating value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, and investors, by making sound financial decisions.

2. Innovation for Streamlined Operations

• Process Optimisation: Braided leaders encourage innovation to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance productivity.
• Technology Adoption: They embrace new technologies and tools to automate tasks, gather data-driven insights, and optimise workflows.
• Agile Mindset: They foster an agile mindset within the organisation, encouraging experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.

3. Customer Success for Value Delivery

• Customer-Centricity: Braided leaders prioritise customer success by understanding their needs, providing exceptional service, and building long-term relationships.
• Value Realisation: They ensure that customers derive maximum value from the organisation’s products or services, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
• Feedback Loops: They establish feedback mechanisms to gather customer insights and improve offerings continuously.

4. Sharp Focus on Recovery and Growth

• Proactive Risk Management: Braided leaders anticipate potential challenges and develop strategies to mitigate risks and ensure business continuity.
• Recovery Strategies: They have clear plans to recover from setbacks, learn from failures, and emerge stronger.
• Growth Mindset: They foster a growth mindset within the organisation, encouraging innovation, expansion, and the pursuit of new opportunities.

Weave it all together.

In closing, the braided leadership model is a robust framework that transforms traditional leadership into a dynamic, interwoven structure that is resilient, innovative, and deeply aligned with organisational goals. By combining financial insight, innovation, customer success, and a focus on sustainable growth, braided leadership goes beyond collaboration — it builds a comprehensive approach whereby weaving each leader’s unique strengths to drive impactful outcomes. As industries like banking, healthcare, automotive, retail, and telecom adopt this model, they can expect to bridge leadership gaps, enhance agility and create a culture of continuous improvement and adaptive growth. Braided leadership is a robust foundation in an era of rapid change, allowing organisations to anticipate challenges, foster strong customer relationships, and seize new opportunities. This cohesive approach ensures that every leadership strand contributes to a unified, resilient fabric equipped to navigate complexity and achieve long-term success.