"Do or Do Not, there is no Try"

On Saturday, while I was in yet another endless line for an attraction at Disneyland Paris, I found myself reflecting on an analogy between movies and digital transformation, as often happens to me lately. Maybe it was the cold or the interminable wait, but I convinced myself that being responsible for digital transformation in a large company is like leading the Rebellion in Star Wars, I felt like Admiral Ackbar.

It is a role that attracts a lot of attention, both for its strategic importance and the expectation of tangible results. Every day, colleagues from different business areas come forward with ideas that promise to revolutionize our way of working. They are convinced they have found the “ultimate solution,” the “QUICK FIX” something that could solve all problems in one fell swoop. However, often the real problem has not even been thoroughly analyzed.

Just like in the saga, where the rebels face the Death Star, our goal is not to launch a direct attack based on enthusiasm or a brilliant intuition. In A New Hope, the Rebellion would never have been able to destroy the Death Star without first analyzing the plans in every detail. The idea of hitting the weak point — a tiny opening in the structure — is the result of a methodical and collaborative process. The simple intuition would have never worked without a systematic planning effort.

Gleaming ideas often represent the initial enthusiasm: “We found the solution!”

The true task of the digital transformation lead is to guide colleagues towards a more mature approach. You have to convince them to follow a structured path: analyze the problem, share data with all stakeholders, and evaluate options before taking action. Only then can we turn an intuition into a successful project. In practice, replicate what should normally be done in any good project, digital or not.

Statistics, after all, are ruthless. In the healthcare sector, for example, about 100,000 apps were launched last year. Less than 1% achieved the expected results. This figure is not surprising: many of these apps indeed are born from good ideas, but without a rigorous method, they fail to turn into effective solutions.

As Master Yoda says: “Do or do not. There is no try.” It’s not enough to try with a gleaming idea; a process is needed to turn that spark into a lasting flame.

However, a good digital transformation lead should not extinguish these ideas, even if they initially seem immature or incomplete. On the contrary, they must convince those who propose them to work methodically, submit them to rigorous tests, and collaborate with the team to refine the project.

The entire Star Wars saga teaches us that true triumph is never the result of a single brilliant mind but of collective work and careful planning. The Rebellion doesn’t win thanks to single intuitions but because it knows how to adapt, learn from its mistakes, and face each challenge with method and determination.

In the world of digital transformation, our task is the same: turn complex problems into opportunities, guiding colleagues through a rigorous path that leads to success. And as the saga shows, when there is method, teamwork, and a pinch of courage, even the Death Star can be defeated.

#digitaltransformation #ai #starwars #do

The opinions expressed in this article represent exclusively my thoughts and do not reflect those of the company for which I work.

Written by H.I (Human Intelligence) Translated by A.I.