What is your favorite thing about mentoring other data leaders? Do you have a meaningful anecdote you would like to share?

My favorite thing about mentoring data leaders? Witnessing their "Aha!" moments! It's magic to see someone grasp a complex concept, translate it into action, and witness the positive impact on their team or organization. One brief anecdote that sticks with me: a mentee struggling with data storytelling. Together, we crafted a narrative that resonated with stakeholders, leading to a crucial project greenlight. Seeing her beaming confidence and the excitement around her, I knew the mentorship had paid off. It's moments like these, where I ignite passion and empower others, that truly fuel my own journey.

To mentor means many things....  Great to share with others the experience(s) about what has or hasnt worked.   Also
Depends on what experience one data leader has that may be of value to another.   

Some data leaders are early in their data strategy or lucky enough to be at a mature state.  

One thing is for sure.   Data is the foundation for all transformational initiatives.   Without a data governance,  and master data management all initiatives will likely fail.

I have been in this space for almost 14 years now. I've worked with a lot of people who have tried to make an entry into the data space. One of the best things about mentoring leaders is that they're eager to learn new things. I enjoy helping build their confidence. Someone who I mentored and am still friends with for 14 years now, he was a very shy person. At that point in time we were both new to the data space. He tried to avoid client conversations, presenting the use cases, and talking about what the team has done. He had a problem with stuttering, so he had that lack of confidence combined with the new space, but he was really good technically. I worked with him and I started giving him the lead to talk to the current team internally about the way ahead and eventually he learned how to present that to the client. He gained confidence and learned to explain what he has done. I think that was one of my favorites because we became friends after that and we're still friends, but I'm sure there are many such incidents which I have encountered in the last 10-15 years. Getting people into the data stream and taking them from being under pressure to leading initiatives has been a very good and transformative journey for me.