The right book at the right time can completely transform your career trajectory, but many data professionals struggle to find resources that directly address their unique challenges of bridging technical expertise with business impact. While technical skills courses are abundant, guidance on becoming a strategic data leader remains scarce.

In this Value Boost episode, Kashif Zahoor joins Dr. Genevieve Hayes to reveal how he transformed his entire data team's performance and culture through a simple but powerful approach: starting a BI book club that costs almost nothing but delivers enormous ROI.

This episode reveals:

1. How a weekly team book club transformed Kashif's data team [02:26]
2. The "data concierge" concept that transforms dashboard builders into trusted business advisors [04:07]
3. Why Data Insights Delivered by Mo Villagran is a team game-changer [08:28]
4. The critical difference between fulfilling requests and solving underlying business problems [09:05]

Guest Bio

Kashif Zahoor is the Vice President of Business Intelligence at Influence Mobile and has extensive experience in data leadership.

Links

• Connect with Kashif on LinkedIn
• Data Insights Delivered (Amazon Australia)(Amazon US)
• The AI-Driven Leader (Amazon Australia)(Amazon US)
• Connect with Genevieve on LinkedIn
• Be among the first to hear about the release of each new podcast episode by signing up HERE

Many data scientists begin their careers expecting to influence strategic decisions, only to find themselves trapped as "data order takers" - endlessly running reports and responding to requests without understanding their business impact. This reactive approach limits career growth and earning potential, keeping even experienced professionals from reaching their strategic potential.

In this episode, Kashif Zahoor joins Dr. Genevieve Hayes to share his journey from data order taker to strategic business partner, revealing a practical framework that any data professional can use to transform their role and accelerate their career growth.

You'll learn:

1. The three-step framework for evolving from order taker to strategic partner: amplify efficiency, deliver measurable value, and partner first, analyze second [06:21]
2. Why understanding your company's financial model is crucial for demonstrating real business impact [10:57]
3. The mindset shift from waiting for requests to proactively identifying and solving business problems [19:33]
4. How building trust through consistent delivery opens doors to bigger strategic conversations [17:04]

Guest Bio

Kashif Zahoor is the Vice President of Business Intelligence at Influence Mobile and has extensive experience in data leadership.

Links

• Connect with Kashif on LinkedIn
• Connect with Genevieve on LinkedIn
• Be among the first to hear about the release of each new podcast episode by signing up HERE

Even the most compelling data presentation can fail if it runs headfirst into your stakeholders' cognitive blind spots. Decision makers who claim to be "data-driven" often unconsciously filter information through their existing beliefs, leaving brilliant insights ignored or dismissed.

In this Value Boost episode, Dr. Russell Walker joins Dr. Genevieve Hayes to reveal practical techniques for identifying and overcoming the cognitive biases that sabotage data-driven decision making.

This episode reveals:

1. How confirmation bias transforms data analysis into a "numerical Rorschach test" where stakeholders see only what confirms their existing beliefs [02:59]
2. The "verbal jujitsu" technique that acknowledges preconceptions without confrontation, allowing stakeholders to save face while guiding them toward data-driven conclusions [03:47]
3. Why recency bias makes yesterday's angry customer complaint outweigh months of systematic data analysis in executive decision making [05:24]
4. The pre-meeting strategy that helps you anticipate and prepare for stakeholder blind spots before they derail your presentation [07:00]

Guest Bio

Dr Russell Walker is the principal consultant at Walker Associates, which specialises in data science education and healthcare analytics, and previously served as a professor at DeVry University, where he co-founded the university’s business intelligence and analytics program. He holds a PhD in business administration with a specialty in computer science.

Links

• Russell's Website
• Connect with Russell on LinkedIn
• Connect with Genevieve on LinkedIn
• Be among the first to hear about the release of each new podcast episode by signing up HERE