THE LEAD FRAMEWORK: PRINCIPLES, APPLICATIONS, AND RELEVANCE TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-DRIVEN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.515721226100612

• Palavras-chave: change management; digital transformation; artificial intelligence; technology adoption; LEAD framework.

• Keywords: change management; digital transformation; artificial intelligence; technology adoption; LEAD framework.

• Abstract:

  The accelerated adoption of Artificial Intelligence, especially generative AI, is driving profound organizational transformations that require companies to comprehensively review processes, roles, and cultures at an unprecedented pace. The specialized literature demonstrates that technology, on its own, does not guarantee successful transformations: the lack of alignment between people, processes, and technology remains the most critical and least addressed factor in digital change initiatives. This article presents LEAD (Learn, Engage, Adapt, Deliver), a proprietary change management framework developed to align people, processes, and technology in complex digital transformations. Based on the integration of stakeholder management, Business Process Management (BPM), principles of andragogy, and Design Thinking, LEAD operationalizes change through four structured phases that promote continuous alignment among these three elements. Evidence from large-scale projects, including the implementation of the national digital identity system in Angola, the operational transformation at BC Hydro (Canada), and ERP implementations in major Brazilian corporations, demonstrates that LEAD significantly reduces organizational resistance, accelerates technology adoption, and sustains long-term transformation results. In the era of Artificial Intelligence, LEAD emerges as a strategic methodology to ensure that digital transformations generate real and lasting value.