Two Jobs in One: Being a “Leader who is a Researcher” and a “Researcher who is a Leader"
Summary
Executive leadership typically requires leadership for the company or organization at large, not just of one’s team or functional discipline. While my day job is leading a team responsible for delivering work and informing the product-making process, I’ve also had to weigh how much to apply the researcher mindset to challenges and opportunities outside my team’s direct purviews. For example, do I point out methodological concerns in our company-wide surveys? Or do I challenge other teams to cite the unnamed “data” used to define decision-making outside of my team’s scope. And how do I remember that pointing out problems always comes with the obligation to help solve them? I will share how I navigate the challenge of leveraging my research skills and energy - and that of my team – without cannibalizing or de-prioritizing the product-related work of my team.
Key Insights
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Leadership requires balancing the needs of the research team with the broader organization's goals, creating tension in prioritization.
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Researchers instinctively seek more data, but leaders must often make decisions with limited information, which is uncomfortable for research-minded people.
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Research quality compromises, like double-barreled survey questions, often stem from real-world constraints rather than poor design.
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Leadership involves adopting new mindsets beyond data analysis, including communication, influence, and accountability at scale.
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The identity of being a leader can be harder to recognize and define compared to the clear identity of being a researcher.
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Evangelizing high-quality research practices across a large company is a continuous challenge and responsibility for research leaders.
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Transparency with teams about difficult trade-offs helps manage tensions when company priorities override team interests.
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The physical organizational placement of a research team (e.g., UX vs. strategy) influences its scope, priorities, and impact.
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Leadership success often depends on managing outwardly and building broad networks rather than only leading downward.
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Discomfort in the dual role of researcher and leader is inevitable and can be embraced as part of personal and professional growth.
Notable Quotes
"I don’t exactly even know who I am if not a researcher."
"That’s because you’re thinking with your research hat on, not your UX leadership hat."
"Leadership is a mode, not a title, and anyone can be a leader."
"The leadership response in business often has to be: we will make the best decision possible given what we know."
"I fumed that my idea had been ignored, wondering if it was because I was new, a woman, brown, or had a PhD."
"Research run rampant — anyone feeling empowered to do research can sometimes cause quality challenges."
"I have a tagline my team is tired of hearing: about 50% of work is getting it done and 50% is getting it used."
"I am responsible not just for insights but for my team's well-being, legal commitments, and fiduciary responsibilities."
"Sometimes being a leader means making decisions that feel like high stakes gambling with incomplete data."
"Transparency and honesty are the only ways I handle difficult questions about compromises for the greater good."
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