This week, I took a phone call from a CEO I’d previously worked with. He wanted a follow-up piece of AI and data leadership strategy work to complement some data leadership I’d done for his organization a few years ago. Earlier this month, another CTO pinged me to let me know that he’d moved roles to a different organization. He wanted to take me with him to help him get a data strategy sorted out in his new role.
Both leaders liked the work that I had previously done for them. The work had a considerable impact on their respective organizations. Both organizations are multi-million global organizations in the public eye. They had a lot of data that required a strategic data leadership eye. As a result of this previous effort, I was fortunate enough to be well-regarded today by them. I proved myself through data leadership and data strategy results rather than noise.
What will you be remembered for?
What will your colleagues remember about you a year ahead, or two, or three? Recently, Stanford University published a study looking at what people are remembered for. The researchers wanted to find out how much common memory existed for known figures who had passed away. Researchers found that not much lives in our memories beyond a year after the death of well-known public figures. For the ordinary person, the chances of anyone recalling us less well-known people a year after moving jobs is, alas, unlikely.
Given the research, I am thrilled the leaders got in touch to work together again. It was satisfying to hear from these leaders again because they remembered the data strategy and data leadership work that we did for them and how we made them feel. The research supports this finding. Recall for public figures was much higher if those individuals had contributed more permanently; the people who are remembered most are the ones who leave behind them a body of work that has an impact. In business, many people will remember the contributions made by Peter Drucker, Dale Carnegie or Steve Covey. These remarkable individuals have sorrowfully departed, but all have left a impressive body of work behind them, influencing people many years after their deaths.
What do you remember other people for? Making a lasting impact?
I am supporting start-up organizations now as part of my business community efforts globally as well as the work I do locally here in the UK. Recently, I saw that a start-up business owners had vented spleen on social media, complaining that the funding bodies were not being fair in their awarding process and that the decision was down to something personal rather than professional. Whether the business owner was right or wrong, the business owner’s openly public complaints are probably making them relieved that they didn’t award any funding to the business, so even if it was professional, it then turned into something personal. To be clear, I had nothing to do with the start-up, process or decision, but my takeaway point – what I remember them for – is the venting of public social media spleen as part of the online scrolling that I was mindlessly doing.
Much-loved actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of his latest movie, accidentally killing one of the directors and injuring another. People worldwide will remember Alec Baldwin for this event long after stopping making movies. Here in the UK, the British Government awarded Southend the status of being a City in the days after the killing of Sir David Amess, the Member of Parliament who was murdered in October 2021. There was an outpouring of grief and a strong reaction to tragic events in both of these events. Outside of these gentlemen’s other achievements, these tragedies are what they will be remembered for.
What do people remember you for? Fortunately, we have wise words to inspire us, and to point us in the right direction.
Setting your own Agenda for Data Leadership
Helping yourself: Writing a data leadership career journal before it happens
Setting your Data Leadership agenda: Get in touch
And if you’d like an AI or data strategy, please get in touch here. We hope to make you feel valued, appreciated and understood, and we look forward to making your data work for you. In the world of data, it is an exciting time! We look forward to helping you with your data leadership and your business objectives.
