Why You Don't Need to Be a Coder to Be a Tech-Savvy Leader
Reflections on the latest McKinsey report on AI
I recently sat down with a cup of coffee to read the latest report from McKinsey & Company. It features a fascinating interview with Neesha Hathi, the Managing Director and Head of Wealth & Advice Solutions at Charles Schwab, titled ‘Becoming a tech-savvy leader’. As I turned the digital pages, I found myself nodding along enthusiastically. It was one of those moments where you see your own philosophy reflected back at you from a different angle.
Hathi’s journey from finance to digital leadership perfectly illustrates a core message I advocate in my own work: you do not need to be a technical wizard to lead effectively in a digital world. In fact, the most powerful tool you have is your existing business acumen paired with a healthy dose of curiosity.
Redefining 'Tech Savvy'
The report tackles a significant anxiety that many leaders face. There is a lingering fear that to be credible today, one must understand the complex code underneath the bonnet. Hathi dispels this myth immediately. She defines being tech savvy not as knowing how to code, but as having a ‘comfort with, and a practical understanding of, tech’.
This resonates deeply with the concept of the ‘bionic’ leader I explore in my upcoming book, Enhanced Leadership. I argue that we should not aim to be synthetic impersonators who know every technical specification. Instead, we should aim to be humans augmented by technology. The goal is to understand how these tools apply to your specific subject matter and how they solve actual business problems.
As Hathi puts it, true savviness is the ability to confidently say, ‘I understand how this tech works and how we can use it to solve this client problem’.
The Leader as Translator
One of the most compelling concepts Hathi introduces is the idea of the leader as a ‘tech translator’. This is the ability to bridge the gap between the engine room and the board room.
Hathi warns that leaders who lack this skill often speak in generalities when discussing technology with CEOs or boards, which can sound superficial. To build credibility, you must be able to explain the business impact of a tool without getting lost in the jargon.
In my book, I emphasise that communication is the lifeblood of leadership. As leaders, our role is to curate the message. We must ensure that we do not simply pass on technical noise but translate it into a narrative that aligns with our organisation’s purpose. When we abdicate this responsibility to the IT department, we lose control of the strategic direction.
The Power of 'Getting into the Details'
There is a nuance here that is worth exploring. While I often caution leaders against getting trapped in ‘graft’ - the low-value, repetitive work that creates a false sense of productivity - Hathi argues for the importance of getting into the details.
These two ideas are actually complementary. Avoiding graft means automating the drudgery. Getting into the details, as Hathi describes it, means spending time with engineering teams or on steering committees to understand the logic of what is being built. She commits at least two hours per week specifically to this kind of involvement.
By doing this, you strengthen your instincts. You learn to calibrate whether a project is on track or if it is becoming needlessly complex. You are not there to write the code; you are there to understand the architecture well enough to make informed judgements. This aligns with my advice to become the ‘architect of the workflow’ rather than just a passive user.
Takeaways for Leaders
If you are currently leading a team or an organisation, here is how you can apply these insights:
Audit Your Curiosity: Hathi mentions that she is intentional about using AI in her personal life to understand its capabilities. I strongly encourage this ‘play’ mindset. Experiment with tools outside of high-stakes work environments to build your confidence.
Don't Outsource Your Understanding: It is tempting to simply hand off tech challenges to the IT department. Resist this. You need to own the problem. Engage with your technical teams and ask the ‘stupid’ questions. As Hathi notes, you will not learn unless you ask.
Focus on the ‘Why’: Your value lies in your ability to connect technology to business outcomes. When you propose a new tool, focus on the value it creates for the client or the efficiency it brings to the team, rather than the features of the software itself.
Takeaways for Coaches
For those of you coaching leaders through this transition, these points are crucial:
Normalise Ignorance: Many experienced leaders are afraid to admit what they do not know. Create a safe space where they can voice these insecurities without judgement. Remind them that their expertise is their judgement, not their technical knowledge.
Encourage ‘Safe Experiments’: Help your coachees identify low-risk opportunities to test new tools. This could be as simple as using an AI tool to summarise a meeting transcript or draft an email. These small wins build the momentum needed for larger transformation.
Challenge the ‘Bolt-On’ Mentality: When a leader proposes a new tech solution, ask them if they are reimagining the process or simply bolting a new tool onto an old way of working. Encourage them to design from a blank slate.
Conclusion
The takeaway from both the McKinsey report and my own work is clear: technology is not something that happens to us. It is a tool that we must actively pick up and learn to use.
You do not need to become a software engineer to be a tech-savvy leader. You simply need to retain your human curiosity, ask the right questions, and have the courage to get involved in the details. By doing so, you ensure that you remain in the driving seat, using technology to amplify your impact rather than define it.
If these themes resonate with you, look out for my book Enhanced Leadership which is launching this February. In the meantime, listen to the latest episode of the LevelUp Podcast where we dive deeper into these practical strategies.
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