Evolved leadership is a requirement for success

On my multi-decade journey of driving innovation in and through analytics, not just at the technological level, but at the practical, day-to-day level, I have been constantly reminded of the critical need for company leadership teams to understand, support, and sponsor corporate efforts in managing data as a strategic asset and creating analytics to drive transformation. Every organization that undertakes this transformational effort requires engaged and informed leadership that understands and views this as a long-term, strategic, organizational change management process.

"We need to become a focused medicines company that's powered by data science and digital technologies," [7] said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis AG, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in February 2018. For every CEO that thinks like Mr. Narasimhan, there are multiple CEOs who have little to no idea what data and analytics can do for their company.

I recently was in a meeting with a C-level executive in a life sciences company that exclaimed that he could build and drive analytics and a company transformation with a handful of interns and that investing in analytics was not required. If this position is the same or similar to the position espoused by the executives in the company you work in, either find another job in the firm if you want to remain in the company or find a job in another company if you want to remain working in analytics.

Without public C-level support, sponsorship, and funding, you and your team are wasting your time. I refer to this view as the caveman mentality. The caveman approach to business is diametrically opposed to advanced analytics and the two will repel each other and success. You cannot club your way to success; nuance and subtlety are needed.