Great planners play many roles and require balancing different skills and perspectives. They are impartial wingmen who provide outside perspective to clients and teams. Planners must be able to work collaboratively with others while also taking time for lone creative work. They need to understand both data and stories. Balancing a broad knowledge with focusing on key insights is important. Both big picture thinking and attention to details are valued. Most of all, planners should be brave, positive and bring an outside perspective to their work.