Trust Your Gut
The most important insights aren't always in the data
Sometimes you just have a gut feeling that something is off. Call it instinct—or experience.
But we’re taught to be logical. Rational. To look at the data.
So we try to think our way to an answer, decision, or solution and shove aside that feeling in our gut.
Show Me The Data
Now I do love me some data—maybe even more than the average person. Give me a good dataset and watch me dig in, gleefully.
But data doesn’t always tell the whole story. Or even the right one. It can even obscure the truth. It depends on:
Which dataset you use
What question(s) you ask it
Who prepared the data
Who’s presenting it, and what agenda they’re trying to advance
Sometimes the edges get smoothed over. Averages are just that—average.
They don’t show you the highs and the lows … or the outliers, which may be where the most interesting insights reside.
Anecdotes Over Data
One of my favorite Bezos-isms is this one:
As leaders, we should always be looking for both anecdotes and data:
What does the data say?
What do the people using my software, service, or solution say?
What are they not saying?
What signals can I find in how people act, behave, or interact with my solution?
If you think something is off, it probably is.
Sometimes the most important thing you can do is trust your gut.
Then go looking for insights—and data—to confirm or disprove what your instincts and experience are telling you.
Bonus read: Trust is critical in leadership. While trusting your gut is important, trusting your people is even more essential.
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