To be a cutting-edge enterprise, one must be a leader in global transformation. Global transformation is the process of re-imagining the future and communicating that vision with conviction and courage. Achieving global transformation requires being willing to assess the tried and true product methods of business, determine the needs of current and future clients, and then innovate to meet those needs. Rather than being wedded to what has worked, and perhaps what has gotten a company to be the leader in their field, global transformation requires companies never to rest at the first or second sign of success.

Leading global transformation means being able to articulate a vision with conviction and being able to courageously implement it, even when no one else has caught on.

Companies that lead global transformation have leadership that is diverse. Here’s why that matters. When you walk into a room, you bring all of who you are—your experiences, your history, your gender, sexual orientation, hetero-normative identification, religion—the whole lot of who you are accompanies you wherever you go. As much as we lean into cultural openness, your worldview is shaped by your various identities and your experiences. If everyone in your company’s leadership has the same professional experience, history, and identities, the frame of reference is limited.

Entities committed to global transformation aren’t just committed to diversity because it is the right thing to do, or because they want to satisfy metrics. When diversity and inclusion are not core values, they are short-lived experiences that frustrate everyone. However, when diversity and inclusion are a part of a company’s DNA, chances are, the leadership team understands that people with diverse experiences, genders, sexual orientations, work histories and cultural identities enhance the company and who the company seeks to become. They understand their own limitations, and value the perspectives of persons different from them. Finally, they understand that as demographics in the United States change—Americans are more racially and ethnically diverse than in the past—companies must be prepared to not only respond to changing demographics, but anticipate their needs.

Next, companies with a transforming spirit are willing to scrap the playbook, accept some level of change and stomach risk. In the Harvard Business Journal article, “What the Best Transformational Leaders Do,” Scott D. Anthony and Evan I. Schwartz noted that “having no predetermined way of doing things turned out to be an asset when it came to reinventing retailing and television, and these leaders kept that outsider’s perspective even through waves of growth.”

Why are these things important? Being able to lead global transformation requires being future focused. For instance, the San Francisco-based company, Marine Layer has an innovative approach to creating “exceptionally soft” tees, recycling and sustainability. The company gives consumers $5 for every used t-shirt they bring into a store. To date they’ve collected over 70,000 t-shirts. This is remarkable for more reasons than one. First, the retail industry isn’t typically known for being reciprocal. You go to retail stores to spend money, not receive it. Next, Marine Layer is changing the game in a way that it fulfills its mission of creating soft tees while preserving the environment. While this idea is novel in 2019 in many parts of the country, I would not be surprised if other companies caught on down the line.

There are a host of other companies that stand out when it comes to global transformation. While meeting existing needs, companies such as Amazon, Netflix, Southwest Airlines, etc. are future focused. They identify what will be needed in the future and convince their customers, shareholders and large swaths of the population that their vision of the future is the vision they should be brought into. Few companies have done this better than Amazon. For the past several decades, Americans have favored convenience. Jeff Bezos tapped into this with home delivery services and transformed not only how we shop, but his vision has spread to areas such as how we dine. Hungry consumers can now order food, pay for it and receive it without ever turning on the ignition of their car, or pulling their bikes out of their docking station.

In addition to being a leader in product delivery, Amazon anticipated a need, tapped into and then delivered in a big way.

As Scott D. Anthony and Evan I. Schwartz said in the May 2017 Harvard Business Journal article that I referenced earlier, “success requires repositioning the core business while actively investing in the new growth business.” Amazon has clearly done this through their ingenuity and transformative nature.

For each of the companies mentioned, they have innovated in a way that took consumers beyond where they might have gone on their own. The leaders of these companies built cultures that valued global transformation and they ensured it through conviction and courage.

If we could all be like them.

Clara Conti is a serial entrepreneur, senior executive, and change agent. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter (@ClaraConti).

The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.