Leadership in Biostatistics students at The University of North Carolina. From left: Margaret Polinkovsky, Alison Wise, Jennifer Clark, Beth Jablonski Horton, Annie Green Howard, and Michael Hussey. Photo by Michela Osborn

When you think of statistical leaders, what examples come to mind? Do you think of a preeminent researcher, a department head, or an elected officer in our association? All these are important, but an even greater variety of leaders is essential to the vitality and visibility of our profession. In this month’s column, I discuss why we need more statistical leaders and ways we can develop future leaders.

Rodriguez

Why Is Statistical Leadership Critical?

Leadership ability is a prerequisite for the growth of our field because statistics is an interdisciplinary endeavor and our success ultimately depends on getting others to understand and act on our work.

We need many kinds of leaders, not only in positions of prominence, but in any area of our profession in which there is opportunity to influence the acceptance of statistical contributions. A statistician writing an editorial letter advocating for data-based policy decisions is a statistical leader, as is a manager working with human resources staff to define the job responsibilities of statisticians in a company or government agency.

Along with influencing others, leadership is about helping others succeed. A university professor coaching a student on how to give an effective presentation is a statistical leader, as is an experienced industrial statistician guiding a younger colleague through multiple revisions of a paper.

How Can We Prepare More Leaders?

We face a shortage of statistical leaders both within our profession and within the organizations in which we work. One reason is that statisticians are not trained for leadership—which is why most of us who do serve in leadership roles landed there unexpectedly! A second reason is that many of our students and younger statisticians are non-native English speakers who have had limited opportunities for early leadership experience.

The good news is that leadership can be learned. While all of us know individuals who are “born leaders,” the ability to lead can be developed. Even better news is that some forward-thinking university departments are beginning to offer training in the skills necessary for statistical leadership. The next two sections highlight two innovative courses I learned about last year, and articles in this issue provide additional information. If you know about other courses, I would appreciate hearing about them.

Teaching Leadership in Biostatistics

When the department of biostatistics at The University of North Carolina recognized that many of its alumni are serving in leadership roles, it decided to develop a course that prepares students for leadership in both academic and nonacademic public health settings. The course was first taught by faculty members Lisa LaVange and William (Bill) Sollecito during the fall of 2011.

Their syllabus covers leadership concepts and management skills, and it features modules taught by guest lecturers who have experience in various settings. Lisa and Bill invited me to teach a session on professional service leadership. To make this session interactive, I asked the class to work through a series of exercises on the topic of strategic planning, using the ASA’s Strategic Plan as a case study. I was impressed by the students’ interest, and I discovered they chose to take the course even though they were all busy with the final stages of their doctoral research.

At the end of the semester, Bill and Lisa reported that the most gratifying aspect of teaching the course was “how engaged and enthusiastic the students were in class.” And, clearly, the students now see themselves as future leaders. One of them (Mike Hussey) wrote, “I wish to contribute by mentoring students and younger statisticians to become leaders themselves. “I want to establish a work environment where I am seen as a resource more than as ‘the boss’.” Another student (Jennifer Clark) noted, “You cannot fully plan or prepare for the leadership roles that you will someday take on. ” I hope to be able to take the skills and ideas that I learned in this class and use them as I develop my own leadership style.”

Teaching Scientific Communication Skills

The ability to communicate clearly with a variety of audiences is essential not only for statistical leaders, but also for statisticians and biostatisticians who work in interdisciplinary environments. At the University of Pittsburgh, the department of biostatistics has introduced a course that helps students develop oral, visual, and written scientific communication skills. Faculty members Jeanine Buchanich and Ada Youk taught the course in the fall of 2011.

Explaining the motivation for the course, Jeanine said, “It started out as informal discussions among faculty members that our students, while very adept statistically, could often not convey the significance of their work, especially to nonstatisticians. We felt that the students needed more practice, both in writing and presenting their results.” Jeanine added that “the most rewarding aspect of the course has been seeing the students’ confidence in their presentation skills grow.” This was echoed by one of the students (Lei Ye), who wrote, “After taking this class, I feel more confident presenting in front of people.”

Another student (Umut Ozbek) described the class as a “must” course, saying, “I benefited a lot from the course—learning the skills, seeing good and bad examples, and practicing in front of the audiences.” And a third student (Zhen Zeng) concluded, “People say practice makes perfect; however, this course makes me be able to practice perfectly.”

Leadership Development After Graduation

Statistical leadership requires a collection of skills, almost all of which can be acquired and improved upon over time. Our association should provide more opportunities to learn these skills, which is why I formed an initiative to propose ways we can offer career-building courses (see my January column). We have made a successful start with occasional workshops at JSM, including the one on presentation skills given in 2011 by Scott Berry, Richard De Veaux, William Li, and Christopher Nachtshelm, which received excellent reviews. And the Statistical Practice Conference, which debuts this month, offers short courses and a track for topics in career development.

Clearly, our students prize this type of training, and it can be a major benefit of ASA membership for younger statisticians. Active service in our association also offers excellent opportunities to develop leadership ability, and I plan to address that in my March column.

I hope I have convinced you that statistical leadership is possible for most of us—not just for a chosen few—and that growing our ability to influence and inform should matter to all of us.