Insight leaders today are navigating enormous challenges — from AI disruption to an unpredictable consumer landscape. At the same time, the demand for insights has never been greater. Business leaders know that to win, they need a clear and accurate understanding of their customers.
But with so much to juggle, how can insight leaders rise to the challenge?
That’s the question we explored in our recent webinar, Leading Insight Into the Future. The session featured James Wycherley, Chief Executive at the Insight Management Academy (IMA), with Rival Group CMO Paula Catoira as moderator.
I first came across James at Quirks' Chicago in 2024 and was really impressed with his POV. (Fun fact: James has spoken at 59 Quirk’s Events — a record!) I later found out he leads the IMA’s forums and works with companies like Amazon, Google, eBay, McDonald’s, Nestlé, and Sony. So I invited him to speak at our webinar to share what he's seeing among insight leaders.
In his presentation, James talked a bit about AI — clearly the biggest market research trend in 2025 and heading to 2026. He revealed that at IMA, 70% of insight leaders say their organizations are in the early stage of adopting AI tools, and only 25% are "rapidly embracing every aspect of AI."
Much of the webinar centered on James’ latest book, The Insight Leader’s Playbook, where he outlines the “9 Ps” for building a future-ready insights function.
If you missed the session, you can watch the recording or read on for our recap!
1. Purpose: Defining Why Insight Teams Exist
Insight teams need a clear purpose that anchors all their work. Without a well-defined “why,” teams risk losing focus and relevance.
“We need to define the insight team’s purpose and its optimal role as a reference point for any change initiative,” James said. “We have to start with the why, as Simon Sinek would say.”
Can you articulate how your team fits into the broader organization? Strong leaders not only explain why their team exists but also quantify the value they bring to shaping the company’s future.
2. Profile & Position: Building Mastery in Influence
Like it or not, every insight team has a “brand” inside the organization. James stressed the importance of shaping that brand with intention.
Ideally, your colleagues should see insights as indispensable contributors — not just support players. That means insight leaders must champion their teams, highlight their impact, and build trust with senior management by showing real influence on decisions.
3. People: Building Areas of Expertise
Do you have the right mix of people on your team? Skills should complement one another, just like players on a sports team.
“We focus a lot on mindset and behavior rather than just technical skills,” James explained. “Think about a soccer or cricket team — individual players have their own areas of expertise, but together they form a cohesive unit.”
4. Partners: Leveraging Internal and External Allies
The success of your team doesn’t rest solely on your own people. Partners matter too — both inside and outside your organization.
Internally, that means working with decision-makers, finance, procurement, and other functions. Externally, it means setting up vendors — like research firms and community platforms — for success by being transparent about your challenges and giving them the tools and data they need.
This kind of open, collaborative partnership ensures you get recommendations that are both robust and commercially relevant.
5. Priorities: Choosing What to Focus On
Insight teams are often stretched thin. The key is to prioritize strategically, not just respond to whoever shouts the loudest.
James encouraged leaders to evaluate projects based on value — focusing on high-impact work that delivers clear ROI and ties directly to business growth.
6. Products: Deliverables That Spark Action
Dashboards, reports, presentations, workshops — these outputs are your “products.” And like any good product, they should be designed to create impact.
“If a business is known for its products and how they’re packaged, then an insight team is known for its outputs and how they’re communicated,” James said.
Don’t just present data. Add foresight, context, and accumulated knowledge so your deliverables are timely, actionable, and inspiring.
7. Process: Driving Efficiency Amid Complexity
To avoid burnout and maintain quality, teams need effective, repeatable processes.
“Otherwise, we’re just trying to survive another spin around the corporate hamster wheel,” James warned.
Well-documented processes help onboard new members, protect institutional knowledge, and ensure consistency. The best processes are structured enough to ensure quality but flexible enough to adapt to new needs.
8. Performance: Proving Impact Beyond Outputs
Counting projects isn’t enough. Insight leaders must show the business impact of their work.
James urged leaders to partner with finance and decision-makers to define ROI measures that capture tangible contributions to growth and performance.
9. Personal: Investing in Yourself as a Leader
A team’s health often reflects the well-being of its leader. James highlighted the importance of managing your own motivation, time, and energy:
“We need to fit our masks before we help others with theirs. We need to think about what motivates us and what gives us energy.”
Resilient leaders build resilient teams.
Four Behavioral Roles for the Future
Looking ahead, James sees insight teams evolving from reactive service providers to proactive “insight activists.” During the Q&A, James outlined four behavioral roles that will define this shift:
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Growth Consultants: Helping organizations grow and thrive.
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Knowledge Stewards: Using accumulated insights to add context.
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Insight Influencers: Forming opinions and making recommendations.
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Foresight Creators: Anticipating trends to guide future decisions.
His advice: Don’t wait for change to happen to you — advocate for it.
What Marketing Can Learn from Insights
One of my biggest takeaways (and one Paula echoed during the webinar) is just how much marketing and insight teams have in common.
Both need the right people and partners. Both require strong processes. And both must be intentional in proving ROI.
A huge thanks to James for sharing his wisdom. If you’d like to dive deeper, watch the webinar recording here.
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