{"id":1842,"date":"2024-10-21T07:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T07:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/thought-leaders\/?p=1842"},"modified":"2024-10-10T17:18:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T17:18:30","slug":"part-1-unreasonable-people-doing-unreasonable-things-that-matter-a-wake-up-call-for-data-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/thought-leaders\/part-1-unreasonable-people-doing-unreasonable-things-that-matter-a-wake-up-call-for-data-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 1 – Unreasonable People Doing Unreasonable Things That Matter: A Wake-Up Call for Data Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Context<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This article has been co-written by me and Matthew Small. This is part 1 of a 2-part series. In this first article, we aim to set the scene based on our experiences. Over the past few years, Matt and I have worked together on numerous data strategy initiatives for clients and have witnessed, first-hand, large and medium-sized organisations struggling to demonstrate real value through their data efforts.<\/p>\n

What follows is our observation, you might agree, or you might not. Our goal with this piece is to open up a dialogue that fosters better, more informed conversations around the challenges facing data and analytics teams today. Let\u2019s talk about what\u2019s going wrong and how we can fix it.<\/p>\n

Keep an eye out for Part 2 in this series, coming later this week. In it, we will dive into the value equation and explore how leaders in data can begin demonstrating the financial impact of their efforts in clear, measurable terms.<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Throughout history, the greatest advancements have been made by unreasonable people doing unreasonable things. Think about it, no one ever changed the world by sticking to the status quo. Those who have made the most impact didn\u2019t play by the rules. They questioned them, broke them, and built new ones.<\/p>\n

This same principle should apply to leaders in data today. Unfortunately, many have fallen into the trap of pandering to technology, becoming custodians of data infrastructure rather than driving strategic value. As a result, the tenure of Chief Data Officers (CDOs) is shrinking, and their influence within organisations is waning. It\u2019s time for leaders to be unreasonable, because being reasonable is no longer enough.<\/p>\n

The Trap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Too many leaders in data are stuck in a technology-centric mindset. They focus on data lakes, cloud platforms, analytics, and now GenAI without tying these technologies to the core business value. When this happens, data becomes just another function, a support role rather than a strategic asset, and guess what? The C-suite notices.<\/p>\n

Leaders in data are often guilty of being enamoured with the latest tech buzzwords, but this obsession with infrastructure and tools has done little to secure their future in the boardroom. The reality is that a fancy data stack means nothing if it doesn\u2019t drive business growth, efficiency, or transformation. Leaders who fail to make this connection are quickly marginalized, their roles absorbed back into IT, and their influence reduced to mere operational oversight.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Call to Be Unreasonable<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Being a reasonable leader in data means accepting this fate. It means continuing to implement technology for technology\u2019s sake, reporting on metrics that don\u2019t tie back to business outcomes, and ultimately watching your role become redundant.<\/p>\n

But what if, instead of being reasonable, data leaders became unreasonable? What if they stopped focusing on tech stacks and started demanding that every data initiative drive clear, measurable value for the business? What if they challenged the norms, questioning every project that didn\u2019t have a direct line to revenue, customer satisfaction, or operational efficiency?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the truth: being unreasonable means pushing back when asked to implement a technology that has no clear business benefit. It means refusing to allocate resources to a data initiative unless it is aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation. Most importantly, it means reframing the narrative around data, not as a technical function, but as a driver of business value.<\/p>\n

To help pushback against the sea of requests build some principles that align with the strategy and direction your C-Suite want to take the company.<\/p>\n

The first set of principles can be as simple as:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • How does this request align to the business strategy?<\/li>\n
  • How will our work integrate with processes?<\/li>\n
  • Do we have owners for the metrics and data?<\/li>\n
  • Is it technically feasible?<\/li>\n
  • What is the value that this will create for the business?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These will help you prioritise the use cases with the last principle getting you into a value-first mindset.<\/p>\n

    The Value-First Mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    What should this new, unreasonable approach look like in practice? It starts by leading with value, something many data leaders talk about, but few actually do.<\/p>\n

    Value<\/strong>, in the context of business outcomes, is defined as the measurable impact that data initiatives have on achieving the organization\u2019s strategic goals. It\u2019s not about technology adoption or the amount of data collected, it\u2019s about the tangible improvements<\/em>\u00a0data makes to the bottom line. This could mean increased revenue, reduced costs, improved customer experience, faster decision-making, or enhanced operational efficiency.<\/p>\n

    A value-driven approach focuses on these outcomes:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Revenue Growth:<\/strong>\u00a0Does your data strategy drive sales, expand market share, or open new revenue streams?<\/li>\n
    • Cost Savings:<\/strong>\u00a0Are your data initiatives identifying inefficiencies, optimising resources, or lowering operational costs?<\/li>\n
    • Customer Experience:<\/strong>\u00a0How is data helping to enhance the experience of your customers, making it more personalised, seamless, or satisfying?<\/li>\n
    • Operational Efficiency:<\/strong>\u00a0Are you using data to streamline processes, automate tasks, and make your organisation more agile?<\/li>\n
    • Risk Mitigation:<\/strong>\u00a0How is data helping to manage risk, ensure compliance, or enhance decision-making processes to avoid costly errors?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Each one of these areas has an income value attached to it. For example, analyzing customer loyalty can lead to improvements across multiple areas, driving greater value. Even identifying and mitigating the risk of customer churn, allowing customer service teams and account executives to take action, results in income being saved.<\/p>\n

      To be a leader in data with a value-first mindset requires a deep understanding of the business, its goals, pain points, and opportunities for growth, and a focus on driving value with data and analytics in every conversation. But this also means that leaders must think and act like business leaders first, and technologists second.<\/p>\n

      Leaders in Data: Your Tenure Depends on This<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      The average tenure of a CDO is shrinking for a reason. Leaders in data who focus on technology rather than value are increasingly viewed as expendable. This is not because data isn’t important, it\u2019s because the role of the CDO is misunderstood when framed purely as a technical position. If your organization sees you as nothing more than a data steward or tech implementer, you\u2019re already on borrowed time.<\/p>\n

      The only way to reverse this trend is to start being unreasonable. Stop being the person who says “yes” to every new data initiative or technology trend without questioning its business value. Be the person who challenges the organization to think differently about data, not as a cost center but as a profit driver.<\/p>\n

      Doing What\u2019s Right for the Business<\/strong><\/h3>\n

      The unreasonable leader in data is not just a disruptor for the sake of disruption, they are disruptors because they care about doing what\u2019s right for the business. They challenge outdated ways of thinking because they know that data can be a game-changer, but only if it\u2019s used strategically. They refuse to accept a diminished role in the organization because they understand that data, when wielded properly, is the most powerful tool in the modern business arsenal.<\/p>\n

      So, if you\u2019re a leader in data today or would like to be in the future, ask yourself: Are you being unreasonable enough? Are you focusing on value, or are you getting lost in the weeds of technology? Are you driving business outcomes, or are you just managing data projects?<\/p>\n

      The future of your career depends on the answers to those questions. It\u2019s time to stop being reasonable. Be the unreasonable leader who does unreasonable things\u2014things that matter for the business, for the bottom line, and for your role within the organization.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s time to change the game. Will you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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