No one left behind in digital era (Part 2)

Part 2: Party members lead the way, workers move forward together

In the digital era, “leading the way” does not mean Party members must be the most tech-savvy people. The value of their pioneering role lies in their willingness to learn first, take on difficult tasks first, turn technology into tangible work results and, more importantly, help their colleagues embrace change together.

An online meeting of the Party Committee of Dong Nai Tourist Joint- Stock Company.

From Dong Nai's experience, the exemplary role of Party members is taking on a new dimension: setting an example in learning and mastering technology.

Learn first, then help colleagues

Le Duc Tai is not an information technology engineer but a receptionist at Dong Nai Hotel. When he encountered difficulties communicating with foreign guests, he proactively tried artificial intelligence (AI) tools. After seeing their effectiveness, he showed his colleagues how to use them. The approach is simple, but it embodies the three steps of pioneering action: identifying a problem, seeking a solution independently and sharing that solution with others.

In a business environment, the value of a Party member does not lie solely in performing his or her individual duties well. When one person knows how to use technology but keeps that knowledge to themselves, the impact remains limited. Only when that person helps colleagues use the technology as well does an individual capability begin to become a collective capability.

Dang Thi Kieu Hanh of Sonadezi Environment Joint Stock Company said: “At first, I was worried about how to formulate prompts and whether the AI-generated results would be accurate.” This willingness to confront one's own weaknesses is part of the pioneering spirit. A person who leads the way is not someone who never makes mistakes, but someone who dares to learn, knows how to verify and correct mistakes, and shares experience so that those who follow can avoid the same pitfalls.

From “knowing how to use digital tools” to “creating digital value”

Politburo Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW, dated December 22, 2024, calls for strengthening the Party's comprehensive leadership over the development of science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. At the grassroots level, this should not be understood merely as organizing study sessions on the resolution. A resolution truly becomes part of everyday life only when it is translated into organizational tasks, actions by Party members and tangible results that workers can experience.

The spirit of the 2026 Golden Hammer and Sickle Award emphasizes the need for Party committees and Party organizations at all levels to move from correct awareness to effective action and from political determination to concrete results. Applied to digital transformation in businesses, this provides a clear benchmark: Party members should not simply “be aware of digital transformation.” They should be able to answer what problem they have solved through technology, whom they have helped to do the same and how the results have changed.

In Dong Nai, the 100-day digital transformation action plan requires a focus on outputs, actual use and the value created. Effectiveness is measured by fewer steps, less time, less paperwork, lower costs and better service. Applying the same logic to Party members, their pioneering role can be measured through an initiative, an improved process, a group of people receiving support or a specific improvement in work performance.

A gap at a grassroots Party organization

Huynh Xuan Dao, Secretary of the Party Committee Branch, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bien Hoa Building Materials Production and Construction Joint Stock Company, said digital transformation has been identified as a key task linked to renewing leadership methods and improving management efficiency. Digital content has been incorporated into Party activities through the Electronic Party Member Handbook and several Party administrative procedures conducted electronically.

The company has organized a thematic session on “Party members leading the way in learning digital skills,” coordinated AI application training for cadres, employees, office workers and Party members, and incorporated digital awareness and skills, information security, exemplary conduct and application results into Party member assessments.

However, when asked whether any Party member had been assigned specific pioneering tasks to guide colleagues or develop digital initiatives, the answer was no. This is a significant detail. It highlights the gap between policy and implementation: learning has taken place, awareness has been raised and assessment criteria have been established, but one crucial step remains — assigning specific tasks to individuals.

This gap opens up a new direction for innovating the leadership approach of Party cells. Instead of issuing a general requirement that “Party members should take the lead in digital transformation,” each Party member could be assigned a specific problem to solve: one could guide a worker team in using a digital platform; another could pilot automated reporting; another could develop an internal guidance repository; another could oversee data security; and another could propose an AI application for a specific process. When there is a person responsible, a deadline and a tangible product, a policy can truly be turned into action.

Four competencies needed for digital-era Party members

Interviews have highlighted four groups of competencies. First is the ability to learn and adapt: being unafraid of new tools and knowing how to learn independently. Second is application skills: turning digital tools into tangible work results. Third is digital responsibility: knowing how to verify information, protect data and comply with regulations. Fourth is the ability to spread knowledge: knowing how to guide and share with others and build their confidence.

Digital responsibility is particularly important. AI can generate answers quickly, but it does not assume responsibility on behalf of the user. In finance, accounting, law, human resources or corporate data, Party members must set an example in verifying sources, protecting confidential information and using technology for its proper purposes. Setting an example in the digital era is not simply about using more technology, but about using it more appropriately and responsibly.

The new point is not that some Party members are proficient in using AI, but whether Party organizations can turn these pioneers into drivers of innovation. If good practices remain confined to individuals, digital transformation will continue to be fragmented and spontaneous. When a Party cell identifies pioneers, assigns them tasks, creates favorable conditions, monitors their work and replicates successful practices, pioneering efforts can become an organizational capability. This is also an important link to the task of building grassroots Party organizations in the first year of implementing the 14th National Party Congress Resolution: strengthening leadership capacity, combativeness and the quality of Party members must be reflected in their ability to address new challenges arising from practical realities. Digital transformation is one such test.

One approach that could be introduced immediately at the grassroots level is “one digital problem for each Party member.” The problem does not need to be large, but it must be linked to the person's job position, have a specific output and identify its beneficiaries. After solving the problem, the Party member would be responsible for guiding at least one colleague or a group of colleagues to adopt the solution. In this way, the value of a Party member's work would not be limited to individual capabilities but would also be measured by the ability to create new capabilities for the collective.

A Party cell could devote part of its regular meetings to “digital product reports,” covering what has been done, before-and-after indicators, difficulties, risks and lessons learned. Effective initiatives could be replicated, while ineffective ones could be adjusted. This approach would provide a more practical basis for assessing Party members' pioneering role.

The pioneering role should be closely linked to the task of building transparent and strong Party organizations. A Party member who knows how to use technology but keeps that skill to themselves has not fully demonstrated the value of setting an example. By contrast, those who know how to turn technology into a new way of working, proactively share knowledge, listen to colleagues' difficulties and work with the collective to solve problems is helping innovate working methods at the grassroots level. This is where digital competence meets the qualities expected of a Party member.

For heads of agencies and Party committee members, the requirements are even higher. They must create room for experimentation while establishing appropriate safety boundaries, encourage initiatives without following trends, and demand data without creating additional administrative procedures. When leaders use actual results rather than activity reports as the basis for evaluation, Party members will have greater motivation to focus on improvements that create genuine value. This is a concrete way to renew leadership methods in the digital environment.

However, if digital transformation relies solely on the efforts of individual Party members, it risks remaining fragmented. Party members need an organization that can provide direction, assign tasks, create favorable conditions, monitor implementation and replicate successful practices. Therefore, the most important question is not simply “What can Party members do?” but rather: How should Party organizations lead digital transformation at the grassroots level?

By Tran Dang Ninh - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha