Women leadership series - In conversation with Chandni Stiehl

How would you introduce yourself?

Hi. I’m Chandni. It’s nice to meet you.

I always find it difficult to categorize myself into succinct buckets. People are inherently complex and I enjoy hearing about their experiences and expertise. So, usually I stop with a quick intro and start listening. When pressed I usually share that I am passionate about growing people, teams and companies in the data space. Currently, I’m working as a Data Strategist at Thoughtworks, which means I act as a practitioner leading implementation efforts, as a strategist providing advice, and as an evangelist. If you would like to know more about me, visit my linkedin profile.

Can you tell me a bit about your career journey? When did you first get into a leadership role?

My career journey started quite young. I would go into my father’s office when I was 14 and manage the front desk. Since then I worked most summers or took extra classes. My journey in leadership really started when I moved to San Francisco and took over the role for a Bank of America manager who was leaving. That was 12 years ago and my career has been a fun rollercoaster since then. I shifted from the Financial sector to start again as a data passionate developer at Thoughtworks. I’ve been at Thoughtworks the last 7 years sharing my passion for all things data.

What were the top challenges you faced during your journey and how did you overcome them?

Early in my career, I believed that I could do anything I put my mind to.

One of my first jobs after my 2nd Masters Degree in Financial Mathematics was with a global quantitative financial instrument trading firm. My hope was that it would open up opportunities to apply my knowledge in financial mathematics. However, being a trader involves going into the pits at the Chicago Board Options Exchange, standing side by side with competitors and yelling at brokers faster and louder than your direct competitors standing next to you. It was contrary to my natural strengths in strategy, negotiation and team building. So I worked hard to become more tactical, decisive and aggressive, believing I can do anything I put my mind to. The work hit me hard after a day with a fat-finger trade resulted in a flash crash causing an enormous uproar in the pits all day long. I left the company shortly after, and am happier for it.

In retrospect I realized that believing that I can do anything I put my mind to was a red herring. My new guiding principle is to leverage my mind, time and energy to bring about the changes I want to see in the world.

What motivates you?

As part of my career journey I was a Statistic Instructor at Loyola University Chicago. There I was able to see when that proverbial light bulb turned on in people’s heads. Later on I would see how the right product, the right analysis, the right design would do the same for users. I love seeing people have that Aha moment, because to me it means that people are leaving that moment with a little more knowledge and power than they had before.

Do you have a role model in your life? Can you name a few people who you look up to?

Marion M. Lovett, one of my managers at Bank of America, is my role model. She is a brillant, strong, hard working woman who cared deeply for her team members. Working with her was the first time that I realized that a good leader understands the strengths in her team and how to foster a culture of excellence.

Cassie Kozyrkov, Chief Decision Scientist at Google, is someone I have never met but admire deeply. In my work and interactions over the years, I had this idea of “common sense”. For example, First figure out what actions you want to impact, and then determine what data is needed, or that upstream UI and Decision Architecture will impact the downstream data quality and analysis.

However, these things are not common sense for those who don’t work in this space, and that is why I really appreciate Cassie’s articulation of keep concepts in Decision Intelligence. I strive everyday to emulate her by articulating data concepts to non-data audiences.

What does leadership mean to you? How would you describe your leadership style?

My leadership style emulates my role model, Marion M. Lovett, in a lot of ways. I spend quite a lot of time getting to know the people that I’m working with and listening to their thoughts and ideas. This is nothing novel, but I have seen it pay dividend after dividend. The best articulation of this I’ve seen so far is in the book, Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams by Roger M. Schwarz. The book articulates clearly how your behaviors as a leader impact the outcomes achieved by your team and other teams that work with you. So my style is simple, listen and learn.

What would be your advice to young leaders?

Practically, if you haven’t done so already take the Strengthsfinder test by Gallup and read Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams by Roger M. Schwarz. As a leader you will need to invest in others. I recommend checking out Shine Theory, and supporting the people around you. Lastly, life will take you in unexpected directions, but no matter where you go, know yourself, know your strengths and leverage who you are to positively impact the world.