Each week an O’Reilly newsletter arrives in my email inbox. I am not sure when I signed up but I am delighted I did.
This week the newsletter brought an article by Avinash Kaushik titled Responses to Negative Data (link). In it, Avinash discusses the reception of negative news and four data leadership archetypes:
- Bubble
- Attacker
- Rationaliser
- Curious
I found the Curious leadership description particularly interesting. Avinash suggests that Curious Ones have two critical attributes: they demonstrate open mindedness in the face of negative data; and they look forward.
I am particularly intrigued by the feedforward aspect of curiosity in changing times. Avinash contextualised this in his opening remark: “A decade ago, data people delivered a lot less bad news because so little could be measured with any degree of confidence”.
His next sentence encouraged me to think in pedagogical and practice terms how we might support those who are learning to analyse data carefully and thoughtfully: “In 2019, we can measure the crap out of so much. Even with the limitations of tools, government regulations, and the astonishing fragmentation of everything (attention, devices, consumption sources, identities and more)”.
I am starting to imagine all sort of learning scenarios where the ‘leader’ can receive news and respond stereotypically … and the conversations we might have to share news effectively.
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