Leadership Essentials: Leading A Data Science Team As A Non-Data Scientist
Here's my framework for succeeding in a leadership role when the team you lead does complex technical work you've never done before.
We do not have enough Data Scientist Leaders. This is our business reality. Since we keep creating new Data Science teams and expanding Data and Analytics Organizations, the leadership must come from somewhere.
There are many non-Data Scientists pressed into leading a team they don’t share a common capability set with. They don’t understand the technology or all the moving pieces of a project. Research is likely unfamiliar territory altogether.
This isn’t ideal and many leaders feel a deep imposter syndrome as a result. In my first leadership role, I wasn’t the perfect person for the job. The team lead left suddenly, and I was the best fit, not a good fit. The director of our organization mentored me into the role and guided me through a difficult transition.
In my first Data Science role, I was far from Andrew Ng and there was no precedent for what I was doing. I defined the role as I went. I learned to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. I leveraged what was in place and adapted it to the new technology.
My point is business doesn’t wait for perfect. We don’t get to operate when all the pieces are in place, and everything is easy. Your imposter syndrome or general sense of discomfort are a tacit acknowledgement that this isn’t the ideal scenario.
You will succeed through extraordinary effort and lean heavily on your leadership skills. Here’s your framework.