Empowering Rising Data Leaders to Lead Teams of Teams

Empowering Rising Data Leaders

From Technologist to Strategic Leader

Stepping into leadership as a data professional is a transformative journey, one that often starts in the technical trenches and leads to orchestrating teams of teams. At Analytic Vizion, we understand the complexities that rising data leaders face as they evolve from individual contributors to strategic leaders responsible for driving organizational outcomes.

The Shift from Doing to Leading

Many data leaders begin their careers as technologists, honing their skills in analytics, dashboards, databases, and coding. Promotions come as recognition of technical excellence, but leading teams of teams demands an entirely new skill set. It’s no longer about building dashboards or optimizing databases; it’s about shaping strategies, managing budgets, fostering team dynamics, and aligning technology initiatives with organizational goals.

This shift can be daunting. Leaders must step away from the keyboard and into a role that requires enabling others to succeed. It’s about driving outcomes, not outputs, and ensuring that the collective effort of the team leads to real business impact.

People First: The Core of Successful Leadership

A key theme in our approach is the importance of people-first leadership. As highlighted in a recent conversation between Nelson Davis and Anna Kisting, successful data leaders recognize that technology is only part of the equation. Engaging stakeholders, fostering collaboration, and building trust are equally critical.

Anna shared contrasting stories of two clients, one who led with empathy and people-first thinking, and another who focused primarily on the technical solution. The first client invested time in stakeholder interviews, ensuring everyone felt heard. Although the core insights were gathered early, continuing those conversations built trust and excitement for the upcoming changes. The result? Stronger adoption and smoother implementation.

In contrast, the second client, who prioritized technology over people, faced adoption challenges. Despite launching a robust tool, the lack of stakeholder involvement in the process left users feeling disconnected. This underscores a critical insight: successful data initiatives require not only the right technology but also stakeholder buy-in and ownership.

The Challenge of Letting Go

One of the hardest transitions for rising leaders is moving from being the expert to empowering others. When under pressure or facing complex challenges, there’s a natural tendency to revert to familiar tasks—like coding or building dashboards—because they feel safe and controllable.

At Analytic Vizion, we coach leaders to embrace discomfort and resist the urge to jump back into individual contributor roles. Leadership at this level is about guiding others, making strategic decisions, and enabling teams to operate autonomously. It’s about becoming a mentor rather than a hero.

Curiosity Over Control

Nelson shared an invaluable leadership insight: it’s impossible to be both angry and curious at the same time. In moments of disagreement or challenge, choosing curiosity over control fosters better conversations and stronger relationships. Instead of telling a team member they’re wrong, great leaders ask questions that guide them to their own realizations, leading to deeper understanding and growth.

This approach is not just about being kind, it’s about being effective. When team members arrive at solutions themselves, they gain confidence and develop critical thinking skills, which strengthens the entire team.

Allowing Failure as a Learning Tool

Letting go also means allowing your team to fail safely. Growth comes from discomfort, and rising leaders must learn when to step back and let their teams navigate challenges on their own. This doesn’t mean setting them up for catastrophic failure but creating spaces where small missteps become valuable learning experiences.

Anna likened this to parenting, where guiding children through challenges, without solving problems for them, builds resilience and independence. The same principle applies to professional leadership. Leaders should act as coaches, asking guiding questions that help team members think critically and develop their problem-solving skills.

Knowing and Embracing Your Gaps

Perhaps the most powerful leadership trait discussed was the importance of self-awareness. Great leaders know their gaps and actively seek to fill them, not by covering them up but by surrounding themselves with strong, capable team members. Leaders who try to be the smartest person in the room limit their teams. Those who acknowledge their weaknesses and bring in diverse talents create resilient, high-performing organizations.

At Analytic Vizion, we help rising data leaders cultivate this self-awareness. We encourage them to identify areas where they need support and to build teams that complement their strengths and weaknesses. This not only leads to better outcomes but also fosters a culture of trust and collaboration.

Final Thoughts: The Journey to Strategic Leadership

Becoming a leader of leaders is a journey filled with challenges, growth, and profound learning. It requires a shift from doing to enabling, from controlling to guiding, and from focusing solely on technology to embracing people and process.

At Analytic Vizion, we are passionate about walking alongside rising data leaders on this journey. We believe in empowering leaders to embrace discomfort, cultivate curiosity, and build teams that drive meaningful impact.