Digital sovereignty: Who is actually in charge here – you or the technology?
Digital sovereignty initially sounds technical, doesn't it?! However, it's more than you think; it's a very current leadership issue!
It refers to the ability of organizations and leaders to consciously understand, manage, and strategically use digital technologies – instead of becoming dependent on them. The European Commission describes digital sovereignty as the self-determined control over data, technologies, and digital infrastructures.
Simply put: digital sovereignty means that we decide – not the algorithm.
Why the topic is so current
Companies today work with cloud solutions, AI systems, global platforms, and external service providers. This opens up enormous possibilities, but it also creates new dependencies. Those who do not know where data is located, how algorithms decide, or what strategic ties are formed lose their independence and simultaneously their ability to shape outcomes.
Digital sovereignty is therefore not just an IT-specific issue. It is a question of competitiveness, responsibility, and future security.
Does it just suddenly disappear?
A lack of digital sovereignty creeps in gradually. Decisions are implicitly dictated by providers. Systems are implemented because they are "state of the art", not because they fit better strategically. It is often observed: internal know-how diminishes while external dependencies grow.
Especially in dealing with AI, this becomes visible. When leaders no longer question algorithms but simply apply them, responsibility shifts progressively. So we can summarize: the real risk is not our technology, but rather the unreflective use of it.
How digital sovereignty is achieved
Digital sovereignty does not mean developing everything yourself from today on or avoiding global providers. It means consciously examining and deciding.
This includes four elements:
First: Build understanding.
Leaders do not need to be developers. But they should be able to understand how AI systems work, what data is being used, and where the risks lie. Without this basic understanding, delegation becomes blind action.
Second: Create transparency.
Digital systems must not remain a black box. Clear governance structures, defined responsibilities, and verifiable processes are not a bureaucratic end in themselves, but prerequisites for being able to act.
Third: Strengthen competencies.
Organizations need internal knowledge about data, AI, ethics, and critical thinking. Digital sovereignty grows where people are empowered not just to operate technology but to evaluate it.
Fourth: Manage dependencies consciously.
Global cooperation remains important. However, strategic alternatives, exit options, and risk awareness belong in every serious digital strategy.
The leadership perspective
Digital sovereignty begins in the mind of the leader. It is reflected in the attitude towards technology. Those who act solely in an efficiency-driven manner will become dependent more quickly.
However, those who take responsibility and show attitude ask different questions:
Which decision may an AI prepare – and which should not?
Where does the human remain consciously at the center?
How do we ensure judgment capabilities in complex systems?
Digital sovereignty is thus an expression of mature and professional leadership. It combines technological understanding with tolerance of ambiguity, ethical clarity, and the ability to endure uncertainty without rushing to automate.
Five reflection questions for leaders
Do I really understand the central digital systems in my area of responsibility – or do I rely on assumptions?
Where are we as an organization factually dependent, without openly naming it?
Which decisions do we leave to algorithms, although they have strategic or ethical significance?
Do we promote internal capacity building – or do we buy knowledge exclusively from external sources?
Would I say today that we consciously shape technology – or that we react to developments?
Digital sovereignty is not a project that can be completed; we are talking about a continuous maturation process.
Ultimately, do not ask yourselves how digital your company is, but how consciously and sovereignly it deals with digitality.
About the author Barbara Liebermeister
Barbara Liebermeister is the founder and director of IFIDZ – Institute for Leadership Culture in the Digital Age. As a management consultant, coach, and speaker, she combines business experience with scientific depth and has coined the term Alpha Intelligence®, a concept that captures the essential skills of modern leaders.
With many years of experience in leadership positions and as a coach for top decision-makers, she has been supporting companies of all sizes on their way to contemporary leadership for over two decades – practical, strategic, and effective. Insights from her work have contributed to several books on the topics of self-leadership, networking, and leadership in the digital world.
Barbara Liebermeister is a lecturer at RWTH Aachen, Kempten University, and others, and also serves as a mentor at universities in Hesse. She studied business administration, holds a master's degree in neuroscience, and has completed training as a business, management, and sports mental coach.
Outstanding work: For her pioneering efforts, she was nominated for the #digitalfemaleleader Award in 2017. In 2018, the analysis tool LEADT developed by her institute, which measures digital leadership maturity, was awarded the prestigious Wolfgang Heilmann Prize at Learntec.
