Haoda Fu, Eli Lilly and Company; Lauren Lee, Pfizer Inc.; Mengling Liu, New York University; Jie Tang, Lotus Clinical Research LLC; Yuanjia Wang, Columbia University; Tian Zheng, Columbia University, Richard C. Zink, Lexitas Pharma Services, and Kelly H. Zou, Viatris

As invited session panelists for the 2020 International Chinese Statistical Association (ICSA) Applied Statistics Symposium, eight statisticians and data scientists were asked to share their thoughts and advice on leadership, with a special focus on statistics and data science. The following is a summary of their answers to the questions about how to lead, negotiate, and deal with a pandemic.

Why and how is leadership about empowerment?

Empowerment is a key determinant of effective leadership in both manager-team dynamics and self-empowerment. First, empowerment from a leader to the team often takes the form of substantiated support to team members who are taking initiative on high priorities in the form of resources and mentoring.

Second, empowerment comes from within. Leaders who are confident in their abilities can lead with assurance, kindness, generosity, and aspiration. Leaders who are not threatened by others can trust their leadership journeys.

Third, empowerment is trust. The first job of leaders is to inspire trust, because trust is the single most essential element of our ability to deliver extraordinary outcomes in a long-lasting way. Consequently, trust likely leads to success because it enables an organization to work in a psychologically safe environment and in its culture.

How do you negotiate professionally while showing respect?

We use negotiation in our daily lives, whether knowingly or subconsciously. Winning a debate is not a good way to think about and approach negotiation. There are several insightful books that can help shed light on this topic. We would like to recommend Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury. The author was a ­co-founder of Harvard’s program on negotiation and one of the world’s leading experts on negotiation and mediation. One technique he writes about is reframing the problem from face-to-face confrontation to side-by-side problem solving. Showing respect is important, but it doesn’t mean you need to be soft. But where is the line? The book showcased a key principle: soft on people and hard on questions.

Another recommended book is Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson and Joseph Grenny. Often, we have too many assumptions before conducting a conversation or negotiation. Thus, it is important for us to first listen and understand before conveying our ideas to others.

Just like in all career sectors, negotiations happen frequently in academia. In many cases, compromises must be made so everyone benefits. When there are shared interests, it is easier to reach agreement. It is helpful to bear in mind what everyone can offer as well as what their constraints are. The perspective of viewing the negotiating parties as complementary, rather than conflicting, members is helpful. For junior investigators, it takes courage and patience to become seasoned at negotiation. Constantly building one’s strength will lead to successful negotiations.

What are effective leadership skills in statistics/data science?

According to the Effective Statistician Leadership Course Program, one of the most useful activities to spend time on is developing a personal leadership statement and list of principles by a leader. First, any interaction should be approached with humility. This humility should be applied to direct reports since they are immersed in the details of their tasks and their success leads to the success of the department. It also applies to nonstatisticians, so we can effectively communicate both simple and complex concepts.

For a leader, communication should be applied early and often. Often, people make assumptions about what others know, understand, or agree with. One reason could be that people hesitate to ask questions about the basics so they do not look timid or foolish. However, these questions can lead to meaningful and necessary discussions and actions. Statisticians should seek responsibility and take responsibility. Do not be the individual on the side of the room who does not ask questions or offer advice. Come to meetings prepared with at least one question and, if there is the opportunity to volunteer for a task or to find a solution, take that opportunity! An obvious skill is to use data to guide decisions.

Finally, management does not automatically equal leadership, and people of all levels can exhibit leadership qualities. Leadership is a talent, but it is also a learned skillset through self-awareness, technical capability, and people-centricity.

Why is it important to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, including women?

Alondra Nelson, deputy director for science and society at the US Office of Science & Technology Policy, said, “[W]hen we provide inputs to the algorithm … we are making human choices, choices that bring our social world to bear in a new and powerful way. … I’ve always sought to understand the perspective of people and communities who are not usually in the room when the inputs are made, but who live with the outputs.” We are missing out on our chance to reach our goal of excellence if “people in the room” do not reflect the diversity of “people out of the room.”

People’s backgrounds, experiences, knowledge, skillsets, mindsets, and views are diverse. When we embrace these, we can essentially broaden ourselves in all these aspects. Without diversity, equity, and inclusion, we won’t know what we don’t know. To embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion, we should engage all members of our community in a conversation about our shared vision of excellence and examine how much of this vision has not been realized in some underrepresented parts of our community. Through such a conversation, we can recognize the need for more proactive efforts in the direction of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What are some effective ways to foster and encourage collaborations?

Leaders should be willing to collaborate, roll up their sleeves, and dive into the weeds, no matter how tough situations become. A gritty mentality lets the team know we’re working for them and are always willing to jump into the mix. It is most important to frame problems in a language everyone can understand, otherwise not everyone is starting out in the same place. One effective way to do this is to limit jargon as much as possible. Delegate and assign tasks that are enjoyable and completed on time with high quality.

Technology-oriented and methodology-savvy, we must be proactive in offering our solicited and sometimes unsolicited expertise. Although we may directly develop questionnaires and deal with health care providers, we are acutely aware of different types of survey instruments and patient-reported outcomes. Set up ongoing meetings to regularly check in or have face-to-face meetings with key individuals to develop better professional relationships on a personal level. The bottom line is communication is key to effective collaboration, and it makes everyone feel like a partner with something to gain.

Successful collaborations stem from getting people to agree on several common goals and work hard to reach them. On such initiatives, many decisions need to be made about the aims, choices of analytic methods, and interpretations of the results. Structured discussions can be helpful to facilitate collaborations. Keep organized and engage members. When there are competing interests, skills for conflict resolution are helpful. For large initiatives and collaborations in particular, breaking complex problems into subproblems and working in smaller groups is effective. Last, having a few highly reliable, active, and engaged members to lead can be the key to success.

How can leaders rise to challenges during a pandemic?

There have been work challenges and life challenges during the pandemic. Leaders who can provide critical resources to overcome work challenges and genuine support to overcome life challenges are necessary. To assume leadership roles and deal with the current and future pandemic, training in communication with the media and public to convey uncertainty and statistical concepts could be especially helpful.

Statisticians have contributed to major efforts on multiple fronts, including modeling the epidemiology and spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, designing and analyzing vaccine trials and therapeutic trials, and studying risk factors and prognostic factors of the virus. We have seen groups pivoting their efforts to quickly turn to research during the pandemic, actively communicating with local governments to inform policy decisions, and organizing online symposiums and seminars to disseminate information. For example, a research group is part of the COVID ensemble modeling hub, which provides weekly forecasts to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to inform the public. The mental health of health care workers due to COVID-19 is also evaluated.

How can we be change-agile professionally these days?

Given the global nature of workforces, a nine-to-five job may no longer be the norm. Working from home with a more flexible schedule has become the trend. As much as possible, take opportunities to practice! This is especially important when using new technologies (e.g., Zoom, Teams, RingCentral) or when using a major new feature from a familiar technology, particularly if important customers or potential customers will be involved. The ­laissez faire style can be useful to empower colleagues and mentees. For new and less experienced staff, coaching may work better. It is helpful to ensure the coaching and mentoring process is a two-way interaction, where careful and empathic listening comes before sharing or guiding.

With most interactions being virtual, there are several opportunities for training webinars and online meetups. Take the opportunity to learn new topics such as “estimands,” even if the concept sounds unfamiliar or not for immediate use. Perhaps set up a mentoring group to take courses or discuss new topics together. Brief check-in meetings with colleagues may provide opportunities to offer expertise early on.

What are some good tips for communicating with teams virtually?

Digitalization has accelerated in a virtual environment. Nevertheless, there are pros and cons of virtual interactions. We need to realize that many of our messages are delivered instantaneously. Our gestures, facial expressions, and body language are harder to read via a two-dimensional screen. Be present, avoid multitasking, and turn on video during virtual conferencing to fully engage with others. Having a separate section in your home for virtual work helps, as well as communicating in ways other than web conference calls, such as Teams.

While on videoconferences, we may leverage technology for efficiency. The virtual background function can be used in multiple apps. It can help deliver messages in different situations. For example, setting up an agenda or providing the meeting objectives.

The virtual work environment may save a significant amount of time in terms of meeting transitions and commuting to work. On the flip side, it may make us more stationary. Instead of having back-to-back long meetings, consider shorter meetings with reasonable breaks in between.

Editor’s Note: The views expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent those of their employers.