406 Data as a Leadership Superpower: How to Fuel Strategy, Innovation, and AI with Justin Evans, Author of The Little Book of Data

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Justin Evans, a seasoned executive and author of The Little Book of Data. With a career spanning leadership roles at major media and tech firms including Microsoft, NBCUniversal, and Paramount, Evans brings a rare combination of commercial acumen and data fluency to the conversation. His insights offer a refreshing—and deeply practical—framework for how senior leaders should think about data, not as a technical layer, but as a strategic lens.

Far too often, CEOs and boards delegate “data” to specialists, only to find themselves disconnected from the systems shaping growth, innovation, and increasingly, AI-driven decision-making. Evans challenges that mindset. He argues that data is now a core leadership discipline—and avoiding it is no longer an option. But here’s the twist: embracing data doesn’t require becoming a data scientist. It requires leading with the right posture, questions, and level of clarity.

Throughout the conversation, Evans offers real-world stories, from nonprofits reducing senior loneliness using conversational analytics, to multinationals unlocking hidden growth by surfacing unused operational data. What sets his thinking apart is not just the depth of his data expertise, but how convincingly he ties it back to purpose, impact, and leadership judgment.

This is not a technical conversation. It’s a strategic one. And for leaders wondering how to navigate a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, dashboards, and machine learning, this episode is both a wake-up call and a guidepost. If you’ve ever felt a step behind in the data conversation—or feared being sidelined in the age of AI—this dialogue will help you reframe and reengage with confidence.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Hear how Justin Evans reframes data as a leadership language, not a technical specialty—and what that means for the C-suite
  
  
  
• You’ll learn why humility and confidence are the twin mindsets leaders need to lead well in a data-driven world
  
  
  
• Hear how to spot the untapped 8% of growth potential that may be hiding in your organization’s existing data
  
  
  
• Discover how great leaders crystallize complexity—and why that’s the superpower that separates insight from noise
  
  
  
• You’ll learn what to do when you feel out of your depth in technical conversations—and why that moment can be your greatest advantage
  
  
  
• Hear why delegating understanding can quietly erode strategic control—and how to reclaim it without micromanaging
  
  
  
• Learn the real reason some executives quietly bounce off data-driven initiatives—and what to do to avoid it
  
  
  
• Gain a framework for using data as a force multiplier for purpose and innovation, not just reporting
  
  
  
• Hear how AI is beginning to create its own data streams—and what leaders must do to ensure alignment with mission and impact
  
  
  
• Discover the kinds of questions leaders should be asking of their data teams—and why asking better questions is more important than knowing the answers
  
  
  

Connect with Justin Evans

Justin Evans LinkedIn 

The Little Book of Data: Understanding the Powerful Analytics that Fuel AI, Make or Break Careers, and Could Just End Up Saving the World

Connect with Mahan Tavakoli:

Mahan Tavakoli Website

Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn

Partnering Leadership Website