We've always had workshops. In the bad old days, everything ran on a mainframe and no one had a terminal on their desk. Any computer run required punching up computer cards and submitting those cards to an operator. Technology has come a long way. On the other hand, we've not come very far organizationally.
Systems still vary by department and still focus on narrow operational needs.
We have a better idea of what a corporate information system should be for government, but haven't moved very far toward implementing it. I have learned a lot about being a leader that has helped me in my job and in being a better citizen. Being a leader means needing to be able to determine where the group wants to go, then helping people overcome the obstacles facing them to reach that goal. It means going into a meeting with a clear idea about what you want out of that meeting, but being open enough to accept different outcomes. The more we integrate systems, the more we know about individuals and we might end up knowing more that we should from an ethical perspective.