Standing still is the fastest way to get left behind. As technology and market expectations accelerate, companies face constant pressure to rethink how they operate or risk being outpaced. Business innovation is the heart of that reinvention, challenging leaders to unlock new value from data, talent and investment.

Waiting for change isn’t an option, according to Stephanie Sadowski (pictured), global Salesforce business group lead at Accenture PLC. Staying ahead requires continuous reinvention, not just in how companies serve clients, but in how they organize teams and modernize operations.

Accenture’s Stephanie Sadowski talks with theCUBE about reshaping workforce and data strategies for the future.

“I’m a very big fan of you’ve got to self-disrupt, because if you don’t, you will be disrupted, and I’d rather be the one out disrupting everybody else,” she told theCUBE. “We’ve already been on the sales reinvention journey for a while. We were one of the first users of Agentforce. I think … where you can make it easier for people to do their job … then you flip from … having to push people to use [artificial intelligence] to a pull, where they’re, ‘I want more access to this,’ and that’s the dynamic you want to create.”

Sadowski joined theCUBE’s Dave Vellante and George Gilbert at Dreamforce, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how Accenture works with Salesforce Inc. to drive internal innovation, guide clients through disruptive change and reimagine workforce and data strategies. (* Disclosure below.)

Why early movers win at business innovation

Some companies treat business innovation as a series of safe upgrades, polishing what already works. But that mindset can leave bigger opportunities on the table, especially when breakthrough change is possible, according to Sadowski.

“I think, while in historic projects, you always want users to be involved in framing things,” she said. “I go back to this quote from Henry Ford: ‘If you ask the people what they wanted, they would’ve said faster horses.’ “They can’t envision the car. If we were to have … asked people what they wanted right away, everyone would’ve just given better versions of what we have, and you actually needed people who could think about, ‘What does the car look like, and how do you build that?’”

Getting real results from business innovation isn’t about making bold promises; it’s about showing what works, fast, according to Sadowski. Small wins build early momentum, earn trust across teams and pave the way for scaling what works, according to Sadowski.

I like the phrase, ‘Think big, start small, scale fast,’” Sadowski said. “The ‘think big’ gets to … ‘What is the roadmap of things?’ The ‘start small’ is … ‘What are those first use cases you can do to get some  points on the board?’ Then, once you’re doing that and you’ve won the hearts and minds, how do you scale very, very quickly?”

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of Dreamforce:

(* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for Dreamforce. Neither Salesforce Inc., the sponsor of theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE