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- š§ If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.
š§ If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball.
Taking back control as a data leader.

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š„ Time for a teaspoon of cement.
Data leaders need to harden up. Iām not speaking in terms of mental health or resilience though. Iām talking about how we interact with our colleagues and peers throughout the business.
We need to be more assertive with them šŖš»
If youāre a data leader, youāve likely felt like your team is treated as a service desk function rather than a strategic partner. Other business divisions dictate your priorities, and leadership expects you to react, rather than contributing strategically.
Itās frustrating, but itās also a problem you can solve.

It do be like thatā¦
When data leaders take control of their own priorities, they gain influence, drive meaningful change, and position themselves as indispensable. They shape how data is used to create value for the business rather than being stuck in an endless cycle of reactive, low-impact work (weāve all been there!!).
Sadly, many data leaders never break out of this cycle. They continue to be sidelined, their expertise overlooked, and their teams undervalued.
Let me know your thoughts in this weekās poll šš»
How much control do you have over your data teamās priorities? |
(last weekās poll results are down below)
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š¬ The impact(s) of this challenge
If you donāt take control of your teamās priorities and assert yourself as a strategic leader, you can expect to experience some or all of the following:
1. Your team remains in a reactive cycle
Instead of working on high-impact initiatives, youāre constantly responding to ad-hoc requests. This means that there is little-to-no room for proactive, value-driven work, aka the good stuff!
2. You lose credibility as a leader
If youāre seen as someone who simply executes other teamsā demands, you wonāt be viewed as an executive peer. Your voice in leadership discussions will carry little weight.
3. Your best talent leaves
Top data professionals want to work on strategic, meaningful projects. If your team is stuck doing low-value tasks, theyāll look for opportunities elsewhere.
4. Your career growth stalls
If youāre not demonstrating leadership and impact, youāll struggle to advance to higher roles. Executives who drive strategy get promotedāthose who only execute do not.
The good news? You can change this. But it requires you to step up, develop a thick skin, and take control.
š¤Æ Last days of my massive deal!
My Self Paced Coaching products are currently 75% OFF - ends midnight on the 31st of March!
DIY Coaching - This self-paced email series and accompanying exercises provides actionable tools to help data professionals navigate career transitions, set goals, and achieve success.
Data Leadership Frameworks - This self paced email series contains 10 value-packed frameworks, each tackling and tearing down major data leadership challenges.
ACT NOW to take advantage of 75% OFF use promo code: DIY75

š©š¼āš§ So hereās whatcha gotta do!
To transition from being seen as a service function to being recognised as a strategic leader, you need to take deliberate action:
1. Assert control over your teamās priorities
You must decide whatās important, not just take orders. This means pushing back on low-value requests and aligning your teamās work with business strategy. If you donāt know what the strategy is - ASK!
2. Have tough conversations
Challenge stakeholders who treat your team as a reporting factory. Educate them on the strategic impact of data and negotiate priorities accordingly. If youāre working on something big and important, then their ālittleā dashboard tweak can wait!
3. Show value through strategic wins
Identify and execute high-impact data projects that clearly demonstrate business value. Once leadership sees the results, theyāll be more likely to respect your decisions and give you the autonomy you need to make them.
4. Build executive allies
The more executive stakeholders see you as a strategic partner, the less theyāll try to dictate your teamās work. Engage them in conversations about dataās role in business growth. Start by understanding their business challenges and frame your value add around helping to solve those.
Many data leaders struggle with these changes on their own. Thatās why I coach data leaders 1:1 to help them navigate tough conversations, build influence, and take control of their teamās priorities. If youāre ready to stop being pushed around and start leading strategically, letās talk!
Book a free 1:1 call with me here
š Community Corner
For this weekās weekās community I bring you news of the Second Edition launch of Jason Foster and Barry Greenās incredible book: Data Means Business: A practical guide to creating value from data and AI
This updated edition goes deeper into AI, culture, ethics, and the key principles of building a high-impact data strategy. It's also packed with practical insights to help you make data work for your business.
If youāre interested in checking it out, you can find it here:
š Paperback version
šŗ Kindle version
Note: the Kindle version is only 99p until the end of today (27th March 2025)
ā”ļø Previous poll results
Last week I asked you:
What is the biggest reason why data products (like dashboards) go unused?
Hereās how you responded:


Tristan Burns
š” Helpful resources for data professionals:
The Data Leadership Frameworks: This email series containing 10 data leadership frameworks, will equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to maximise your effectiveness and become the influential and powerful data leader you know you can be.
DIY Coaching Program: Through a series of 9 self-guided exercises, youāll clarify your goals, overcome obstacles, and create a plan for your next career move - all at your own pace.
ā”ļøThree more ways I can help you:
Private Coaching for Data Leaders: I work with data professionals looking to grow into influential and unstoppable data leaders to help them navigate and overcome the challenges of being a data leader.
Group coaching for Data Teams: Great data teams can make or break businesses. Through my facilitated 6-week group coaching program, together we get to the heart of what is holding teams back and set a course for data-driven success.
Google Analytics, Tagging and Looker Support: Helping teams to set up or optimising their data eco system, generate actionable insights and gain more in-depth knowledge through training.
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