What’s the best way to get into CDO roles?

A person of growing talent in the data/analytics area asked me this:

“I want to become a CDO in the next few years. Would you suggest I take the CDO courses/certifications/boot-camps that are out there?”

In a few words, my response below was what I conveyed to her over a 30 min discussion.

” If you want to be anything in the future, you must start acting like one NOW.”

Every day, the job you currently hold provides you the opportunity to practice what you want to get good at and become.

Act like a leader, strategist, visionary with responsibility, compassion, learning as much of the business as you can, connecting with leaders and doers alike, asking questions, taking risks, managing, and leading across dotted-lines even if you do not have the title.

You are given a title because leaders perceive that you are one already. When they see it, you will get it. You don’t get what you want and then try becoming one.

And none of the courses can teach you all the above. They can only be experienced, learned, corrected, and improved.

Every career is a work-in-progress.