- The Analytics Ladder
- Posts
- Own the Outcome: The Aspiring Leader's Playbook
Own the Outcome: The Aspiring Leader's Playbook
The midweek playbook for turning book smarts into career-making influence.
Stop the Blame Game. Start Building Real Credibility
Hello dearest readers…
You delete 48 emails before breakfast – but this one could flip your next meeting from finger-pointing to forward motion in under 10 minutes.
Most analysts stall out because they inherit messes… then spend months explaining why.
Today, you’ll skip the excuses and turn any disaster into a demonstration of leadership—using a playbook drawn from this week’s featured book: The Analytics Edge.
Look - the book itself is an excellent technical manual and masterpiece of Analytics methodology, delivery and practice. What I have taken out of it are some important things that may have fallen through the cracks to a casual reader without the benefit of a whole career in data.
In this issue:
• A 9-word ownership script that disarms blame
• An adapted "Analytics Edge" quick win methodology
• The follow-up framework that builds your business case portfolio
Give me four minutes. You'll earn a career’s worth of credibility.
Let’s go.
The 9-Word Script Derived From the Analytics Edge Playbook
Your stakeholder drops the bomb:
"Why is this dashboard still broken after three months?"
In The Analytics Edge, Bertsimas and co. show how analysts at American Airlines, Netflix, and the Patriots didn’t lead with excuses.
They led with ownership.
Use their mindset with this 9-word script:
"You're right. That's on me now. Here's my fix."
Why this works: Every case study in the book follows a very similar pattern—the analyst owns the business problem, not just the code or the SQL.
In that moment, you’ve shifted from the person explaining the mess… to the person fixing it.
The Analytics Edge Quick Win Methodology
The book’s genius is in showing how small analytical wins create oversized business impact.
American Airlines didn’t revolutionise revenue management in one sprint.
They started with a single route optimisation that proved the model worked.
Your move: Apply the same logic.
Find your version of a “single route.”
The Analytics Edge Formula:
Identify the constraint (what’s the most felt friction?)
Apply analytics to one small piece (can you automate, optimise, or predict it?)
Measure business impact (what’s the time/cost/revenue delta?)
Examples (translated from the book to your world):
• Netflix-style: That manual export everyone grumbles about? Automate it and track the hours saved.
• Patriots-style: That sluggish dashboard? Optimise load times and show how it speeds up decisions.
• Airlines-style: That weekly report always running late? Predict and prevent the blockers.
You’re no longer “delivering reports.”
You’re delivering business results.
Building Your Analytics Edge Portfolio
This is where the book becomes your career accelerator.
Every Analytics Edge case study ends with a clear, measurable ROI—not technical specs.
After your quick win, ask:
“What’s the next thing I could fix that would make your day easier?”
Then build your personal portfolio using their structure:
Your Analytics Impact Format:
Business Problem: What decision needed support?
Analytics Solution: What data/logic/model did you use?
Implementation: What changed based on your work?
Business Result: What was the measurable impact?
Example:
Problem: “Marketing couldn’t find high-value customer segments”
Solution: “Built a lifetime value model using behavioural clustering”
Implementation: “Reallocated $50K in ad spend to top segments”
Result: “Improved ROI by 34%, lowered CAC by $12/customer”
This isn’t bragging.
This is proof that you deliver value, like every analyst featured in the book.
(Notice a somewhat recurring theme through some past newsletter issues lately??? - I really think this is an important thing to do)
Your Analytics Edge Challenge
Before the next Friday, pick one small problem—and run the full Analytics Edge cycle:
Own it (use the 9-word script)
Solve it (find your “one route”)
Measure it (turn it into a case study)
Scale it (ask what to fix next)
The top performers in The Analytics Edge didn’t get promoted because they knew R or SQL.
They earned their edge by owning outcomes, proving impact, and building trust—one problem at a time.
Your stakeholders don’t care how the mess started.
They care who’s going to fix it.
Own it.
Fix it.
Build your edge.
Great data leaders aren’t handed trust - they forge it with action and accountability.
Go make your mark.
Ready to build your first Analytics Edge case study? Hit reply and tell me what problem you're taking ownership of.
Keep ascending.
Best,
Tom.
PS.. Forward this to one analytics teammate who worries AI is eating their lunch — and help them climb the Ladder.
Not a subscriber yet? Join us to get your weekly edition.
Disclaimer: Some of the articles and excerpts referenced in this issue may be copyrighted material. They are included here strictly for review, commentary and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes fair use (or “fair dealing” in some jurisdictions) under applicable copyright laws. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this newsletter for purposes beyond your personal use, please obtain permission from the copyright owner.
The information in this newsletter is provided for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional, financial, or legal advice. You use this material entirely at your own risk. No guarantees, warranties, or representations are made about accuracy, completeness, or fitness for purpose. Always observe all laws, statutory obligations, and regulatory requirements in your jurisdiction. Neither the author nor EchelonIQ Pty Ltd accepts any liability for loss, damage, or consequences arising from reliance on this content.
Visit our website to see who we are, what we do. | |
Our blog covering the big issues in deploying analytics at scale in enterprises. |