Communication
To move from a position of receiving instructions to one of providing instructions means clear, concise communication skills are a must. Not only will a data leader need to manage their own data team, but they will need to collaborate with other departments of the organisation – particularly to implement data culture changes and present examples of how data is improving business operations.
“As we move through our transformation journey and build trust across the organisation we are included in more strategic conversations,” said Hellen Mannion, global data director, Specsavers, highlighting that to be involved in top-level conversations means constant communication with other departments.
Mannion also mentioned trust which is key to becoming a leader. You must be trusted in your decisions and your ability to manage a team, a project, long-term goals and more. Trust can start to be developed through communication and transparency, which can then be further developed through decentralisation of data and upskilling across different departments. Unfortunately, there is no overnight solution to developing trust, but it can be achieved across organisations of all sizes, legacies and specialisms.
You can read more about earning becoming a trusted advisor and developing relationships here.
Knowing when to step back
This is particularly important if you have worked your way up through the ranks and have held different positions in a business. It can be difficult to let go of a role that you love, or a task you have been doing daily for multiple years – but a good leader is able to let go and trust that those you are managing will be able to perform the task to the highest ability. You may have considered yourself the finest at a specific task in the business, but there will always be someone else who is better at a different task than you and it is now up to you to fill the talent pipeline for the future and identify everyone’s strengths. You need to focus your attention on being the best leader in the organisation and ensuring the right person is in the right seat.
Delegation is essential for a leader. Not only does it show you are able to select those that are the best fit for a task, but you are also able to communicate effectively and place your trust in someone else. As one member of a DataIQ roundtable stated: “When you are able to step back and start to look at the bigger picture, you realise that the success of the department you have been a part of for so long now relies on you continuing to keep your hands off and guiding from the front.”
There is no denying that moving away from a position and a team is difficult – multiple DataIQ members have spoken of tearful farewells as they moved into senior leadership positions – but learning to hand the reins to colleagues and new talent is key for success. No one likes micromanagement, nor do they like a senior team member that continues to do the day-to-day tasks they did as an analyst ten years previously. Yes, it is important that you can help perform tasks when needed, but your focus must shift to allowing new staff to grow, evolve and develop in their roles – including allowing people to learn from their mistakes.
Responsibility
A data leader must understand the responsibilities of their role and be willing to accept responsibility over the team that they manage. Common areas that require constant attention from data leaders include ensuring data quality, extracting value from data assets, spearheading data initiatives and strategies, managing a data team and data processes across an organisation and maintaining compliance with security and privacy regulations. Within these topics there will be industry-specific variations and additional considerations, but the core functions will remain the same.
The responsibilities of a CDO will often overlap with chief information officers and chief analytics officers, once again highlighting the need for communication skills and the ability to step back when necessary. Over time, once a company’s culture and data journey progresses, the duties of each position can be more clearly defined to avoid conflict and inefficiency that can undermine a company’s data initiatives.
Passion
You know when you meet someone who loves talking about their favourite football team, hobby or holiday destination? Hearing them talk can be engrossing, entertaining and exciting. That is what is needed from a leader (except the conversation needs to be about data). “It is imperative to have data leaders who are passionate about data – passion aids perseverance,” said Pankaj Arora, head of data science, Tesco Bank. When a data leader is buzzing with energy for the projects ahead, it makes a huge difference to the team behind them and the impact of the work they present.
Ultimately, you probably have the passion it takes to be a leader because you have clicked on and read this far into an article about what is needed to be a data leader. Business leaders want to identify a CDO that can encompass management and technical expertise, possesses a solid knowledge of the business, has hands-on experience in different roles and can connect with staff and peers to catalyse a flourishing culture.
To nominate yourself or a colleague as a data leader for inclusion in the 2023 DataIQ 100 UK for free, click here.
To nominate yourself or a colleague as a data leader for inclusion in the 2023 DataIQ 100 USA for free, click here.
