To Thine Own Data Be True

Four steps for gaining self-awareness and leading with confidence.

Leader, Know Thyself

Culture. Tools. Teams.

Everyone wants to talk about them in data leadership. But here’s the catch: You can’t lead any of it if you don’t know yourself first.

That’s why my Data Leadership Academy series is going to begin with a self-assessment. Before you align or act, you need a clear-eyed view of who you are as a leader.

Step 1: Take a Personality Test

The Enneagram is my tool of choice. It gives you a number, a shorthand for how you see the world.

I test as a “Five,” a deep thinker, comfortable with silence, grounded in structure. That explains a lot about how I approach defining data leadership. The point isn’t the label. It’s the comparison:

• Who you think you are
• Who assessments say you are
• Who others perceive you to be

That triangulation is the start of true self-awareness.

Step 2: Run a Personal SWOT

We use SWOTs for businesses all the time. Now apply it to yourself.

• Strengths: What you do well
• Weaknesses: Your blind spots
• Opportunities: Where you can grow
• Threats: What could derail you

It’s a structured way to capture reality, not just the story you tell yourself.

Step 3: Ask Five People for Feedback

Self-perception only goes so far. You need outside perspective, too. Ask:

• Your boss
• A direct report
• Two peers or customers
• A former colleague

Send them a short note:

“I’m working to become a better data leader. Could you share one strength, one weakness, one opportunity, one threat, and a short summary of me as a professional?”

You’ll be surprised at how willing people are to help—and at how differently they see you.

Step 4: Update Your Resume

Not because you’re job hunting. Because it forces you to think about and write your career story. Where you’ve been. What you’ve achieved. How your trajectory looks on paper. It’s a way to build narrative discipline, something every leader needs.

Putting It Together

These four lenses—personality test, SWOT, peer feedback, resume—give you a composite picture of yourself. Most people skip this work. Doing it sets you apart. Leadership starts here: Know thyself. To thine own self be true.

Try This Today

Pick one step. Take the Enneagram. Draft your SWOT. Send one feedback request. Start the work of knowing who you are as a leader. Everything else will flow from there.

Shaun Davis, your personal data therapist, understands your unique challenges and helps you navigate through the data maze. With keen insight, he discerns the signal from the noise, tenaciously finding the right solutions to guide you through the ever-growing data landscape. Shaun has partnered for 10 years with top data teams to turn their data into profitable and efficiency hunting action. Learn more about Shaun.