Digital initiatives are driven by collaboration
Most digital projects fail because companies operate in silos. IT is stuck doing its thing, business teams focus elsewhere, and no one bridges the gap. That’s a recipe for disaster. According to Gartner, 52% of digital initiatives fail. Over half. Now, that’s staggering—but it doesn’t have to be this way. When CIOs and CxOs step up together, leading as a united front, the success rate jumps to 71%. That’s an impressive turnaround.
What’s the difference? The answer is collaboration. Businesses that win at digital transformation integrate tech and business functions so tightly that the two become inseparable. The technology is baked into every part of the operation, not treated as a separate department. CIOs are strategists, working side by side with C-suite peers to drive innovation.
In organizations that succeed, the leadership team prioritizes shared accountability. Everyone owns the outcome of digital projects, whether it’s the CTO steering a cloud strategy or the CMO pushing for AI-driven customer insights.
When the business and tech sides sync up, it creates a multiplier effect—faster execution, better results, and fewer failed initiatives.
Shared goals are key to cross-functional alignment
People work for rewards. Whether it’s a promotion, a bonus, or recognition from peers, we all want to feel like our work matters. This is where shared goals become the glue that holds teams together, especially when you’re running complex digital initiatives. If IT and marketing are chasing completely different outcomes, failure is probably inevitable. When you align objectives across departments though, you unlock momentum.
Take generative AI or cloud computing, for instance. These are massive undertakings requiring input from IT, marketing, sales, and beyond. If each group works toward their own version of success, progress stalls. But when everyone agrees on what winning looks like, efforts converge. Marketing pushes the messaging, IT builds the infrastructure, and sales closes deals—all rowing in the same direction.
This alignment also breeds accountability. When goals are shared, teams naturally support each other. Mutual accountability fosters collaboration, and collaboration accelerates progress. In the end, success doesn’t necessarily need perfect execution, but it does need everyone to chase the same prize.
Breaking digital silos boosts innovation
The biggest mistake companies make? Treating tech as someone else’s job. Innovation doesn’t come from an isolated IT department, it comes when technology weaves into every fiber of the organization. Leaders who get this right empower every employee to become part of the transformation.
Here’s how it works. First, make technology accessible. According to Gartner VP Daniel Sanchez-Reina, CIOs should focus on building platforms that are easy for anyone to use. These aren’t only tools for developers, they’re also there for marketers, finance teams, and even HR.
Second, teach business leaders how tech drives innovation. When executives understand the connection, they stop seeing IT as a service provider and start seeing it as a partner in solving real problems.
Finally, broaden digital skills beyond the IT team. Empowering non-technical employees with basic digital fluency creates a ripple effect. Suddenly, ideas come from everywhere, not only from the tech group. This creates a workforce that’s agile, creative, and ready to tackle whatever’s next.
Unconventional team structures drive results
Sometimes, success comes from breaking the mold. Take MongoDB as an example. Their developer relations team—a deeply technical group—is part of marketing. It sounds counterintuitive, right? But it works. Blending technical expertise with business strategy has let them create a team that, yes, still writes code, but also delivers real value for the company’s larger goals.
Here’s why this matters: in most organizations, technical and non-technical teams rarely interact. Developers stick to engineering, marketers stick to campaigns, and collaboration is minimal. At MongoDB, the developer relations team operates at the intersection. They’re not marketers, but their work—technical workshops, tutorials, and tools—directly supports marketing’s mission to engage developers.
This structure encourages mutual support. Marketing informs the technical team’s priorities, and the technical team shapes how marketing reaches its audience. It’s a two-way street, and the results speak for themselves. Through working across traditional boundaries, they’ve created synergy, a fancy word for making 2 + 2 equal 5.
For other organizations, the lesson is clear: stop thinking in silos. Mix your teams, align them with common goals, and let them play off each other’s strengths. That’s how you create a culture where innovation (and not failure) becomes inevitable.
Final thoughts
Are your teams truly working as one—aligned, collaborative, and driven by shared goals—or are you trapped in silos that hold back your potential? The companies that win in today’s world adopt new tools or talk about innovation in every corner of their business. It’s about rethinking how you operate from the ground up. The future belongs to those who integrate technology, empower their people, and refuse to settle for “good enough.” Will your brand rise to that challenge?
