Why We Can’t Optimize Our Way to True Transformation
I recently read that The Wizard of Oz is coming to The Sphere in Las Vegas. And it got me thinking—not about cinema or nostalgia, but about transformation.
Four syllables. Fourteen letters. A Latin root meaning “to move across boundaries and change form to create something wholly new....”
I’d wager #transformation is the concept most likely to keep leaders up at night. For some, it's about chasing opportunity. For others, it's about staying afloat. Whether you're scaling what's working or facing the reality that what once drove your business no longer does, transformation is the word that won’t leave the room.
We are told by the industry advisors that transformation is “always on.” That even high-performing companies need to have a transformation plan. We chase the results. We celebrate the outcomes. But somewhere along the way, I think we can lose the plot on what transformation really demands and how to best achieve it.
Despite all the investment in technology, and amidst the race to adopt new tools and platforms, we must remember: the true transformation successes are not about the systems we build.
True transformations are about the new ideas we unlock. The ones that move people, reset expectations, and make possible what once seemed out of reach.
That’s when transformation lives up to its name. That’s when it truly, well, transforms.
While there are plenty of great examples within my own organization, I make it a point to look beyond it and seek inspiration from businesses across the spectrum.
Transformation Starts and Ends With The Customer Experience
Seeking that outside inspiration brings us back to The Sphere and why the article I came across was more than just a headline for me.
When the venue opened, it wasn’t just the technology that captivated attention. Yes, it’s packed with cutting-edge LED screens, immersive sound, and AI-powered interactions. Yes, even non-director types can appreciate the cinematic feat of something like repurposing 1939 Wizard of Oz footage for a massive, modern screen. But that’s not what sings of “transformation.”
The magic of The Sphere is that it reimagines what a venue can be.
The creators didn’t ask, "How do we build a better arena or theatre?"
They asked, "How do we create an experience people can't get anywhere else?"
And they didn’t stop at asking. They inspired a small army of individuals collaborating across silos, disciplines, and expectations to make that vision real.
Technology served the story. Infrastructure served the imagination. The Sphere doesn’t just digitize concerts or movies. It redefines the emotional arc of live entertainment.
Transformations redefines. That’s the leadership lesson organizations need to hear.
Building Bold or Turning Around: Both Require Reimagining, Not Just Repair
Slate Auto is another timely example of what it looks like to build something bold from the ground up. The company started as a small disruptor, betting that the future of electric vehicles wasn’t luxury but affordability.
They reimagined what entry-level EV ownership could feel like: smaller vehicles, subscription-based access, lower costs, and a design philosophy rooted in real-world needs, not legacy assumptions.
Today, with record sales and a rapidly growing customer base, they're proving that bet was right.
Slate Auto didn’t just build a cheaper car. Organizational leaders didn’t ask, “How do we make a combustion engine vehicle in an EV?”
They asked, “How do we make EVs more accessible, more personal, and more human from the start?”
That's a real transformation: redesigning the relationship between people, products, and ownership itself.
But not every story starts with a blank slate. Many begin from a place of erosion or declining relevance, and I believe the same kind of reinvention is possible inside a legacy brand too.
Lego is a standout example. Today it’s the world’s biggest toy company, but that wasn’t always the case. Rewind to the early 2000s, and you’ll find the tale of a brand that was mired in debt and rapidly losing cultural relevance.
Their breakthrough didn’t come from haphazardly chasing the future, but from doubling down on their roots. Lego re-centered itself around a simple but powerful idea: that imaginative, hands-on play can inspire and connect people of all ages. Under new leadership in the mid-2000s, they cut back on bloated licensing deals, sold off non-core ventures like the Lego theme parks, and dramatically streamlined their product lines. Everything was aligned around the single purpose of empowering creativity through the brick.
Today, Lego continues to express its purpose in culturally resonant ways. This includes savvy media ventures like Lego Masters, as well as creative franchise partnerships. One of the most striking recent examples is their collaboration with F1. Alongside the launch of a 13-car F1 collection, Lego hosted pop-up events around the world, including a standout activation at the Miami Grand Prix, where fans encountered a life-sized replica of the Ferrari SF-24 and were invited to build right at the track.
The company is also looking ahead, for example with the launch of Lego Digital Play, a new division focused on gaming and immersive digital experiences. Their journey reminds us that reclaiming relevance doesn’t come from repair alone, but from the courage to transform.
The Bottom line: You can’t iterate your way into relevance. Whether you're scaling or scrambling, transformation demands reinvention, not just restoration.
Transformation Isn’t a Tech Puzzle. It’s a Human Promise.
One mistake many companies make, especially those in need of a turnaround, is thinking transformation is a systems upgrade.
Instead of what tech processes can we optimize, real transformation asks:
How do we want people to feel about their work?
How do we want teams to experience collaboration?
How do we want customers to experience connection?
If you don’t start there, no technology stack or process innovation will save you.
The organizations that will lead the next era will be those willing to design from their true purpose. Boldly, thoughtfully, human-first.
Best Buy epitomized this during their “Renew Blue” era, when, facing pressure from Amazon and others, the company redefined itself not as a place to buy electronics, but as a trusted partner in everyday tech decisions. The organization empowered store associates as advisors and redesigned the customer experience around service and support. The transformation wasn’t just about optimizing what Best Buy sold. It was about selling something different and transforming how people felt in the process.
Reflecting in 2020, as the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, CEO Hubert Joly noted, “Purpose and human connections were at the center of our transformation, and they’re what carry us through a crisis (even today).”
More recently, retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has also shown what’s possible when people become the center of the transformation.
Once seen as out-of-touch and outdated, Abercrombie reimagined itself by going inward, focusing first on its people, culture, and values. Under new leadership, the company didn’t lead with marketing spin or tech tools. It listened. To employees. To customers. To a new generation. They rebuilt the business around authenticity, inclusivity, and purpose, and in doing so, sparked a dramatic resurgence in both relevance and revenue.
As CEO Fran Horowitz said, the brand’s transformation was about “reflecting the values of today’s customers, not yesterday’s image.”
Without a Human Promise, AI-Enabled Workflows Still Feel Flat
These days, many organizations think transformation means adopting new digital tools. And it’s true that you can integrate AI into your organization, automate processes, and personalize outputs.
But if your people don't know where they add value, if they don't feel clarity, purpose, or pride, the work will still feel flat.
Technology, even in the form of the savviest AI Agent, amplifies what already exists. It can't create meaning where there is none.
It’s not a Fortune 100 case or a traditional turnaround story, but I think the story of fashion designer Norma Kamali captures something essential about transformation: how technology can expand, rather than replace, human creativity.
She’s reshaping her process by integrating generative AI, not to automate style, but to push her imagination further. By training a proprietary model on her own archive, Kamali uses AI to stretch her imagination while staying true to her brand’s essence.
It’s a great reminder that when tech follows human intent, it doesn’t flatten the work, it elevates it.
That's the real opportunity: when AI serves a strong human foundation, not the other way around.
Start With Purpose, Finish With Systems
Whether you're leading the charge or trying to stay afloat, the opportunity is the same:
To move beyond optimization. To reimagine.
To begin with people and purpose – and build from there.
The future won’t be won by those who simply optimize and personalize.
It will be won by those who reimagine human experience and use technology to make it real.
Let’s start there.