Your Digital Transformation (Personal and Business) Is Already Dead Unless You Start With You and other Humans!
Why the UN's latest research convinced me that human transformation—not technology—is the only path forward in an AI-crazed world
I was reading the upcoming United Nations Development Programme's 2025 Human Development Report the other day and had a revelation. While everyone else focuses on digital disruption, the UN's research centers on something more fundamental: human development in the digital age. It sparked this reflection on why we've got transformation completely backward.
Let's cut through the noise: We've become obsessed with digital transformation and AI while neglecting the most fundamental transformation of all—human transformation. Before we talk about technology, business models, or cultural overhauls, we must begin with ourselves.
In 2025, the most powerful engine of real transformation isn't artificial intelligence or digital platforms—it's the human being.
Transformation isn't about what's happening to us. It's about what's happening within us.
This truth becomes even more essential as AI accelerates. While everyone else chases technological capabilities, the real competitive advantage lies in human capabilities that no algorithm can replicate: self-awareness, purpose, creativity, and the courage to evolve.
The Most Overlooked Truth in Business
The dirty secret about transformation? Technology is actually the easy part.
The hard part—the part that determines success or failure—is transforming human mindsets, behaviors, and ways of working.
Yet this kind of personal transformation is often the hardest. Why? Because it requires self-awareness, discomfort, and the courage to change ingrained habits, stories, and fears. We naturally resist uncertainty. We cling to the familiar—even when it no longer serves us—because predictability feels safe.
Many of us are conditioned from early on to strive for stability, expertise, and control. Transformation threatens all of that. It demands that we let go of who we were to become someone new, and that's inherently vulnerable.
Why Human Transformation Must Come First
We struggle with transformation because it's not a straight line. It's messy, emotional, nonlinear. It requires time—and in a culture obsessed with speed, instant results, and perfection, slowing down to reflect and rewire ourselves can feel inefficient or even selfish.
But it's not. In truth, it's the most essential work of all.
And let's not ignore the noise—the constant buzz of updates, expectations, comparisons, and information overload.
In a hyperconnected world, it's easy to get overwhelmed by everyone else's progress, opinions, and highlight reels. The pressure to keep up can be paralyzing.
When the noise gets too loud, the transformation must start with stillness. Create space for silence. Disconnect from devices. Go for a walk without a podcast. Journal your own thoughts instead of scrolling through others'. Clarity doesn't come from more input—it comes from tuning in.
The Three Elements of Genuine Transformation
Real transformation requires three things: mindset, skillset, and toolset.
Mindset: How we think—the beliefs and narratives that shape our responses
Skillset: What we're capable of doing—the competencies we build
Toolset: What we use—the systems, technologies, and methods that help us execute
The fatal flaw in most transformation initiatives? They focus on toolsets (like AI) while neglecting mindsets.
Without the right mindset, we resist learning new skills. Without skills, tools are useless. Without tools, even the best mindset struggles to manifest change.
It's like trying to run a marathon (skillset) with the wrong shoes (toolset) and a voice in your head saying you're not a runner (mindset).
Why We're Seduced by the Shiny Objects (And Why It's Killing Your Transformation)
Let's address the elephant in the room: Why do organizations consistently prioritize technology over humans in transformation efforts?
The answer is simple but uncomfortable: Technology is tangible. Measurable. Visible. You can demonstrate a new AI system to the board. You can quantify the investment in cloud infrastructure. You can showcase a sleek digital interface to investors.
Human transformation, by contrast, feels messy, time-consuming, and difficult to measure. It doesn't fit neatly into quarterly reports or make for impressive demos. It requires patience, vulnerability, and a tolerance for the nonlinear nature of human growth.
There's also the compelling illusion of the quick fix. New technology promises immediate results: "Deploy this system and watch productivity soar!" But human transformation offers no such instant gratification. It's a gradual process of shifting mindsets, developing new capabilities, and evolving behaviors.
This isn't just about traditional change management either, this is changefulness. Most change management approaches focus on getting people to adapt to technology—not on transforming the humans themselves first. They treat resistance as something to be overcome rather than as valuable feedback from the very people who will determine whether your transformation succeeds or fails.
True human transformation goes deeper.
It's about fundamentally shifting how people think, what they value, and how they show up—not just getting them to comply with a new system or process.
It's about developing the adaptive capacity, growth mindset, and resilience that will enable them to navigate continuous change, not just a single transformation initiative.
The companies that get this right flip the script entirely: They focus on transforming their people first—not to help technology succeed, but because human transformation is the foundation for all other transformations.
The Human Transformation Revolution Is Already Happening
Despite the allure of technology, the data confirms a profound shift toward human-first transformation is already underway:
Mindset Revolution: The "growth mindset" isn't optional anymore—it's the foundation. People who adopt a learn-it-all, curious attitude are proving more resilient and adaptable.
Lifelong Learning: 44% of workers' skills are expected to be disrupted by 2027. Individuals are taking charge of upskilling and reinventing themselves—not waiting for organizations to do it for them.
Lifestyle Redesign: 35M+ people globally now live as digital nomads, rejecting 9-5 constraints in favor of autonomy and flexibility. The 4-day workweek isn't theory—it's practice in many places.
Well-being First: With burnout at an all-time high, wellness is no longer a perk—it's a priority. The wellness economy hit $6.3 trillion in 2023, a signal that people are investing in themselves like never before.
These aren't just trends. They're evidence that human transformation is becoming the foundation for everything else—if only organizations would pay attention.
The Ripple Effect That Changes Everything
When humans transform, everything they touch begins to transform too. Personal transformation powers broader change:
At Work: People with clarity, energy, and purpose show up differently—as leaders, collaborators, and problem-solvers. Cultures shift when people do.
In Organizations: Adaptive mindsets fuel agile teams. Growth mindsets inspire innovation. Resilient people build resilient businesses.
In Communities: Individuals prioritizing mental health and purpose create a culture where vulnerability, empathy, and support are normalized.
Across Society: We're seeing a collective redefinition of success—from hustle-and-grind to alignment and well-being. People are choosing purpose over prestige, contribution over consumption.
The Essential Mindsets for 2025 and Beyond
Real change starts with how we think, not what we do. The most transformative mindsets today:
Adaptability: The world won't stop changing. Neither should we.
Curiosity: Learning beats knowing. Questions fuel innovation.
Experimentation: Trying, failing, and iterating is the new success.
Anti-fragility: Don't just bounce back. Bounce forward. Get stronger under stress.
Purpose-Driven: A clear "why" powers the stamina for hard change.
These aren't soft skills—they're the foundation for all other skills.
In a world where technical skills have shorter half-lives than ever before, these human capabilities become the ultimate competitive advantage.
The Wake-Up Call for Leaders and Organizations
Even the United Nations recognizes what many business leaders are missing. The UNDP's upcoming 2025 Human Development Report specifically examines how digital transformation must be harnessed to advance human development—not the other way around. Their research demonstrates that when we focus on expanding human capabilities and agency first, digital technologies can serve as powerful enablers rather than disruptive forces.
If you're not investing in human transformation first, you're wasting money on technology and strategy. Full stop.
Leaders, this is your mandate:
Build cultures that reward learning, not just performance
Create space for recovery, reflection, and re-skilling
Lead by example—model the mindset shifts you expect
Connect transformation efforts to personal meaning and growth
The Human Development Imperative
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has made this exact point the centerpiece of their upcoming 2025 Human Development Report, titled "Harnessing digital transformation to advance human development."
As I dove into their preliminary findings, I was struck by how their research takes a deliberately people-centered approach, examining "how living in an increasingly digitalized world affects not only the way societies operate, but also the way we function as human beings," according to Pedro Conceição, Director of the UNDP Human Development Report Office.
The UNDP recognizes what many organizations miss: digitalization isn't just about technologies and systems—it's about human capabilities, human agency, and ultimately, human flourishing. Their research shows that without addressing the human element first, digital transformation efforts will fail to deliver meaningful progress.
The Radical Truth
The future isn't built by tech. It's built by transformed people using tech with purpose.
If we want real transformation in business, in society, and in life, we have to start with humans. When we shift mindsets, habits, and hearts—the ripple effects are exponential.
In 2025, the question isn't "How can we transform our systems?" It's:
"How can we transform ourselves—and let that transformation shape everything else?"
Start with humans. Everything else follows.
About Jason Averbook
Jason Averbook is a globally recognized thought leader in Digital HR Strategy, Generative AI, and the future of work—named one of the Top 25 Human Capital and Work Thought Leaders in the world. With over two decades guiding the HR tech evolution, Jason champions shifting from simply executing technology projects to truly embodying a digital mindset. He’s authored two influential books, founded Leapgen, and regularly inspires global audiences as a speaker, advisor, and educator.
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Absolutely love this post Jason. Couldn’t agree more sir.