

#325 Using Data to Master the Cycles of Leadership with Carolyn Dewar, Global Practice Leader at McKinsey
10 snips Oct 6, 2025
Carolyn Dewar, a Senior Partner at McKinsey and co-leader of the firm's CEO Practice, advises top leaders on strategy and organizational change. In this discussion, she emphasizes the critical balance between data and human insight in leadership. Carolyn outlines the six core responsibilities of CEOs and highlights how they can leverage data for strategy and talent decisions. She also shares insights on fostering a data-driven culture, identifying blind spots, and the importance of continuous learning to drive meaningful change.
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Data As An Anchor In Uncertainty
- Data makes some things knowable amid geopolitical and market noise.
- Use data as an anchoring source of truth to cut through uncertainty.
Satya Nadella’s Monthly Learning Day
- Satya Nadella sets aside one day a month to learn from external data and trends.
- He uses that time to look around corners and inform strategy beyond day-to-day operations.
Make Data Use Visible And Practical
- Role-model data use from the top and communicate its value widely.
- Build quality systems and train people so they can confidently use data daily.