The mentor
There is no doubt that many leaders would not be in a major leadership position without a long series of outstanding mentors going back to high school, but not everyone has that same privilege. Academia is complex and many of the lessons and skills necessary for success come with many years of experience, which are not realized by everyone. The role of a mentor is to pass along the wisdom which comes from a lifetime of success and, importantly, failure. Some academic skills are like the mathematical tricks which make calculus accessible. Without help one might learn some of the calculus tricks and shortcuts, but this takes time and it might be impossible to learn all of the necessary tactics. Equally important are the soft skills mentors can imbue in their trainees. No one can do science alone, but the mentor can cultivate a relationship and environment where the trainee learns to identify their strengths and weaknesses, seek help, work with others, and communicate data science effectively. Data science can be particularly challenging in academia because it is new and few understand what it is and why it is important. This makes mentoring in this discipline even more important, especially for retaining, promoting, and empowering those from underrepresented backgrounds. It is important that mentors avoid conscious and unconscious microaggressions where they edit out or erase the diverse perspective, career path, or vision of their diverse trainee or junior colleague. It is not the role of the mentor to create a carbon copy of themselves, but rather to nurture the uniqueness of their trainees or junior colleagues.