5 Brutal Truths the C-Suite Applies to Data Leaders Every February

If your data work still sounds impressive in February, this explains why it’s about to be ignored.

Author

Glenda Carnate
February 05, 2026

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Planning is acceptable in January, with strategy decks going around, roadmaps getting nodded through and agreement from all about executing in the future.

But then February comes and the questions start to become more direct, updates become shorter, instead of asking what you are working on, leaders are asking what changed… and that isn’t hostility!!! It’s actually measuring results… and many data leaders don’t see that they’ve already established a new measurement level until they’re getting no response for their updates.

Evaluating Data Leaders from a C-Suite Perspective in February

1. Strategy decks become irrelevant to Executives in February.

The organisation has financially supported its plans... completion is now the key.
Solution: Provide one number that shows progress. If you cannot show any, nothing has been shipped.

2. Roadmaps do not contribute to success.

The only thing that demonstrates success is delivery.
Solution: Divide deliverables into short 30-day goals instead of looking at quarterly goals. If you miss the 30-day target, you no longer rate the executive’s time.

3. Efforts are invisible; output has a visible impact.

Effort does not register with an executive.
Solution: Present before/after (delta) report on a single slide and use only one metric.

4. Any decision made without insight is noise.

If you hear “What’s next?” in executive meetings, you haven’t created any value.
Solution: Tie each deliverable to one action by an executive; if there is no action associated, there is no value.

5. More than three priorities result in zero priorities.

February is a reflective month for focus and determination.
Solution: Eliminate everything except the top three expectations; be accountable by publishing.

💡Key Takeaway: 

The C-level stops listening and starts measuring in February. Those who can survive this change will quickly demonstrate their results.

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