Many organizations invest heavily in technology, yet still struggle to translate those investments into measurable progress. For Michael Rustom, a long-time technology solutions consultant, the issue isn’t access to innovative tools – it’s how companies integrate technology into decision-making, accountability, and day-to-day execution. In this conversation, Rustom explains how leadership teams can use technology more effectively inside their organizations to support corporate goals and sustainable growth.
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Q: When companies say they want to “use technology to grow,” what do they usually mean? And where do you see that thinking go wrong?
MICHAEL RUSTOM:
Most of the time, it’s an imprecise statement. What they usually mean is that they want technology to fix something like slow growth, lack of visibility, or misalignment across teams. But they haven’t defined what success actually looks like. The mistake is treating technology as a strategy rather than a tool. Software doesn’t create growth on its own. Growth comes from better decisions, faster feedback, and consistent execution. Technology should support those outcomes directly. If leadership can’t point to a specific decision that will improve because of a system, then the investment is already misaligned. I often see companies adopt new platforms while keeping the same habits. They still rely on intuition, still debate numbers in meetings. They’re reacting instead of planning. In that case, technology just adds complexity without changing any of the behavior that was holding them back in the first place.
Q: When you start working with a leadership team, what’s the first thing you evaluate internally?
MICHAEL RUSTOM:
I start by looking at how information flows through the organization. Not what systems they have, but how data actually moves from the frontline to leadership and back again. In many companies, data exists in silos. Sales has one version, operations another, and finance another. Each team is optimizing locally, but leadership is left stitching together fragments. That slows decisions and creates tension because people aren’t aligned on the same facts. The goal is to create a shared operating picture. Not a massive dashboard with everything, but a small number of metrics that reflect the company’s real priorities. Once those metrics are visible, you have more productive meetings and debates and productivity improves almost immediately.
Q: How can technology be used to improve execution?
MICHAEL RUSTOM:
Technology is meant to improve clarity around goals, ownership, and metrics for progress. For example, if a company has a growth target, technology should help teams see moment to moment whether actions are contributing to that goal. When people can see the connection between what they do and the outcome the company cares about, performance becomes a lot more consistent. Another thing that’s often overlooked is feedback loops. Technology should shorten the time between action and insight. If teams only realize something isn’t working at the end of a quarter, it’s already too late. Systems that reveal problematic issues early allow leaders to adjust without panic or overcorrection.
Q: As companies scale, how does their relationship with technology need to change?
MICHAEL RUSTOM:
Early-stage companies rely heavily on intuition, and that’s appropriate. Founders are close to customers, products, and problems. But as the organization grows, that intuition becomes less reliable because no one person sees the whole system anymore. At that stage, technology becomes less about speed and more about coordination. You need systems that ensure teams are pulling in the same direction, even as complexity increases. This is where companies often struggle because they delay formalizing systems. People naturally fear too much bureaucracy, and they find scaling chaotic and stressful. The key is to build just enough structure to support growth without slowing it down. Technology should act as connective tissue, not a control mechanism. When done well, it actually increases autonomy because people don’t need constant oversight to stay aligned.
Q: How do you know when technology is truly delivering value inside an organization?
MICHAEL RUSTOM: I look at the quality of decisions being made, and the speed with which they’re making them. Are leaders spending less time arguing about data and more time acting on it? Are fewer issues escalating because teams can resolve them earlier? Another reliable signal is focus. Effective systems help companies say “no” faster. When technology clarifies priorities, teams stop chasing every opportunity and start investing energy where it matters most. Ultimately, success isn’t about having the most advanced tools. It’s about whether technology helps the organization execute its strategy with less friction. When that happens, growth stops feeling forced and starts feeling earned.