Ecosystems are Shaping the Future of Organization

Over the last few years, business ecosystems have gained significant impact on the way businesses work. Turbo-charged by digital transformation, ecosystems foster business model reinvention and enable growth beyond traditional industry boundaries.

The new ball game upsets current business practices and transforms traditional management and leadership models. To stay competitive, organizations must embrace the new realities and develop new capabilities to deal with the risks and opportunities that come with business ecosystem engagement.

The complexity of this challenge can be confusing and overwhelming. While many companies are eager to move forward, most still have a limited understanding of what it takes to lead in these contexts.

Over the last 4 years, we have dedicated a significant part of our research to the key success factors of business ecosystem engagement. 

Our work culminated in a capability framework for business ecosystem leadership that helps structure the arena and allows leaders to get a better grip on the subject. Its nine dimensions provide a compass to navigate the still largely unknown waters of collaborative value creation.

A Consortium to Collaboratively Work on Ecosystem Challenges

The Ecosystem Leadership Consortium (ELC) is a collaborative platform dedicated to addressing key challenges related to a company’s business ecosystem engagement. 

Combining facilitated cross-company collaboration with world-class thought leadership, the consortium strives for tangible business impact by providing a peer-to-peer oriented infrastructure to tackle the challenges organizations face.

We address questions such as:

• What capabilities are needed to leverage the innovation and growth potential of business ecosystems? How to assess them? How to develop them?
• How to design an organization that is ready for successful ecosystem participation? 
• How to build, manage, and leverage the relationship network that constitutes the relevant ecosystem (partners, alliances, customers, suppliers, co-opetitors, innovation hubs, universities, regulators, etc.)?
• How to create internal governance that enables effective ecosystem participation? What ecosystem governance models ensure overall system performance?
• How to make the best use of ecosystem-enabling digital technology? What underlying social infrastructure is required to fully leverage its potential?

The consortium offers the opportunity to collaboratively work on these challenges through member-driven project initiatives and facilitated cross-company dialogues. Combining cross-company project work with in-depth reflection provides a unique capability development opportunity while creating immediate business impact.

Value Proposition

• Companies improve their ecosystem leadership capabilities through consortium initiatives such as solution-oriented cross-company projects, collaborative research on issues of key interest, joint learning expeditions/benchmark visits, etc.
• Executives gain insights beyond their immediate context and enjoy personal growth through a supportive network of peers who share challenges and practices and provide mutual coaching, as well as through inputs and dialogues with global thought and practice leaders. 
• In addition, consortium membership provides access to a vetted pool of speakers/advisors/coaches for in-house projects.

Membership/Participation Policy

• Consortium members are senior executives (VP, SVP, C-level) from large and complex organizations or business units, who have the seniority to contribute to ELC’s mission in a meaningful way (“Delegates”)
• Delegates commit to participate in consortium meetings and are the point of contact for consortium initiatives and other activities, which may include additional members from their organization.
• Delegates may invite substitutes or additional participants from their company to consortium meetings. To accommodate space limitations or avoid potential seniority dilution within the community, such invitations are subject to approval.

Consortium Projects

• Projects constitute an important element of the ELC activities. They yield not only tangible business impact but are also more cost-effective than internal company projects because of the advantage of pooled resources.
• Consortium projects typically address issues of common interest (e.g., action research, benchmarking, learning expeditions, executive labs, etc.).
• In addition, individual companies may invite other members to join them in a project initiative that addresses their specific context only (member projects).
• Projects are funded by the participating members. 
• Participation in all projects is optional.

How to Get Invited

Please contact us to share your specific context, see if this consortium is a good fit and value for you, and discuss any questions you may have.

Please note that at this point we do not invite consultants and/or academics outside the CFFO network of experts.