Weekly roundup
Best LinkedIn post: Nano Banana thinks one must have a beard and chambray to be a nerd (LinkedIn)
Latest LinkedIn Live: I recently joined Dustin Schimek to talk strategies for getting your work noticed and acted on (LinkedIn Live)
Best free data viz resource: Okay shameless plug, it’s mine. Bookmark this Data Viz Vault of my most popular LinkedIn PDFs — I’ll keep adding to it!
Quick update before we dive in:
I just created what might be my favorite resource yet: The Analyst’s Influence Playbook. It’s a 40-page guide that shows you how to actually turn insights into action using behavioral science principles that consistently grab attention and drive decisions.
Before heading into meetings or presentations, I used to always think: How can I get my idea across? How can I convince them to see it my way?
Then whenever they didn’t like or adopt my idea, I felt disappointed. Upset. Little bit annoyed.
Maybe you’ve felt the same way.
It makes sense. Our brains are wired to look out for ourselves. And let’s be honest, the job market and “layoff culture” right now makes it even harder not to.
But now I believe there’s a better way.
Instead of focusing on: What do I want to achieve here?
Ask: How can I offer the greatest value to this person right now?
It feels counterintuitive. But when you stop trying to “get ahead” and focus on making others successful, two things happen:
You feel way less stressed (and defensive).
You actually do get ahead, because people want to work with, promote, and spotlight people who make their lives easier.
How to lead with value, not your agenda
Value is not about saying yes to everything, ignoring your own goals, or working yourself into the ground. It’s about aligning your unique skills to someone else’s goals.
Value can be:
Informational: sharing data, insights, or tools aligned with someone’s goals.
Emotional: offering encouragement, clear feedback, advocacy.
Strategic: providing perspective, surfacing risks, asking the right questions.
Why it works
While everyone else is butting heads trying to look out for #1, you stand out as a trusted partner. Leaders see that you “get it” and start pulling you into bigger, higher-stakes conversations. Later, when opportunities come up, your name will be top of mind.
It also relieves pressure on you. Instead of stressing about how to “win,” you focus on what would actually help. Think of this mindset as the antidote to imposter syndrome.
Lastly, you build allies. People you’ve supported will be the first to advocate for you, even when you’re not in the room.
How to provide value day-to-day
Here are some strategies you can use immediately:
1. Make your audience the hero
This idea comes from Building a StoryBrand: stop trying to be the hero. Instead, make your stakeholder the hero, and you’re the guide. Your job isn’t to swoop in with all the answers. It’s to clarify their goal, then position your work as the tool to help them get there.
2. Cut through the noise
Leaders are bombarded with data and decisions all day. Stand out by being clear and direct. Synthesize. Highlight what matters. Cut the jargon. Don’t show everything you did — show the one thing that makes their job easier.
3. Borrow from marketing
Marketers know they have seconds to grab people’s attention. So do you. Show your audience “what’s in it for them.” Highlight benefits over features (think impact vs. technical detail). And get to the point quickly… no one wants a novel on your methodology.
Common examples
Finding a mentor. Instead of asking, “will you mentor me?” Try: Sharing thoughtful insights, offering help, showing you’re worth investing in.
Presenting to executives. Instead of saying, “Here’s what I found and what I recommend.” Try: “You mentioned X was your top priority this quarter. Here’s how these insights help address that.”
Team meetings. Instead of saying, “Here’s my project update.” Try: “We hit a blocker this week. Here’s what we learned that might help if you run into something similar.”
Meeting with your manager. Instead of saying, “Here’s what I’m working on this week.” Try: “Here are my priorities for the week. Do these align with yours? Are there higher priorities I should shift to?”
Final takeaway
Leading with value builds trust, influence, and opportunity. And it just feels better.
This week, try approaching at least one conversation with:
→ What goal is this person trying to achieve?
→ What could I offer to make their decision, job, or day easier?
This is not the most popular opinion. But I hope you’ll trust me on this one. When you focus on using your unique skills to help others, that goodwill will come back to you tenfold, often in ways you’d never expect.
Cheers,
Morgan
Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 other ways I can help you:
Best data viz resources: A curated list of my must-have favorite books, courses, and online resources.
Story-Driven Charts: My flagship course on how to design charts that clearly communicate your insights, catch leaders’ attention, and make you stand out from the crowd. Use code BACKTOSCHOOL for 20% off!
Persuasive Presentations (30-min keynote): An engaging, high-energy talk that gives any audience the tools to move beyond “here’s the data” and deliver recommendations that stick. Perfect for team events, offsites, or conferences. Email me to learn more.