7 Traits of Highly Successful Business Analytics Professionals

Peter Brand, the fictional sports analyst in the movie Moneyball, was portrayed to be the stereotypical nerdy number cruncher. This makes a good story line in a movie, but the real life architect of the Oakland A's analytical success in baseball, Paul DePodesta, required more than number crunching ability to succeed. He played both varsity football and baseball at Harvard, worked as a professional baseball scout and later became a general manager in Major League Baseball. Paul exemplifies the "unicorn" that businesses seek as analytics professionals. The term "unicorn," a mythical creature that does not exist, is used to describe the individual that can bridge the gap between the world of technology and the world of practical application. To succeed as an Analytics Professional, one must possess a broad set of skills and personal attributes beyond the technical tool kit.