In a world where dashboards refresh by the second and KPIs cover every surface, something surprising has happened: We’ve made data easier, yet decisions harder.
This isn’t an information failure. It’s a misplacement of attention. We’ve been conditioned to believe that more data equals better choices. It does not.
The truth is, data doesn’t make the decision. You do – and if we don’t strengthen the muscle of discernment, no amount of insights will create action.
We’re not suffering from a data drought. There is a data deluge. We’re swimming in it. Ironically, you might not think that’s the case, as in most meetings people ask for more analysis or seek one more piece of information. If you hear or see that, it should serve as a warning flag that decision literacy may be lacking.
Decision literacy is the ability to make decisions with incomplete information. Which is exactly what many of us are missing in today’s data-driven world.
What we lack is decision clarity
That’s what I explore in ‘Decisions Over Decimals: Striking the Balance Between Intuition and Information,’ the book I co-authored with Paul Magnone and Oded Netzer, to help leaders strengthen their ability to know when to trust the numbers and when to trust themselves.
This article is the first installment of a series that builds on that work. It’s a space to unpack what it looks like to lead, decide, and move forward in a world that rarely offers clarity on how to make decisions. Data is powerful, but it was never meant to replace judgment – it was meant to sharpen it.
You don’t need more data. You need more meaning.
You’re in the strategy room: charts on the wall, numbers on the table, and still no clarity in sight. It’s a signal, not for more inputs, but for sharper interpretation. Think of a pilot in a high-tech cockpit. The tools can track, measure, and alert, but they can’t decide. They don’t sense the storm or choose the safest path. That’s the pilot’s job. The same goes for leadership. Data supports, but doesn’t lead. Judgment does, especially when the skies shift.
Overanalysis doesn’t build confidence. Discernment does.
Let’s be honest. Sometimes what we call “rigor” is really just fear in a smarter outfit.
- “Let’s rerun the model.”
- “Let’s get more comprehensive data.”
- “We should hold off until we get one more forecast.”
Sound familiar? There’s nothing wrong with due diligence. But when the pursuit of precision delays progress, it becomes something else: risk aversion disguised as thoroughness.
In the classes I lead at Columbia University, we joke about a frequent flyer in decision-making meetings: Seymour. Seymour seems to be invited to most meetings.
You know the type.
- “Can I see more data?”
- “Can I see more analysis?”
- “Can I see more drivers?”
Seymour always wants to see more. While their intentions may seem responsible, their presence often derails momentum, slows decisions, and throws teams off their game.
The irony? Indecision is often more expensive than getting it wrong. Deferred choices. Diluted strategies. Delayed action. These are the hidden taxes organizations pay when they wait for certainty that never arrives.
The perfect decision doesn’t exist. Certainty is a myth.
So instead of chasing perfection, what if you built the muscle to decide in imperfect conditions? And maybe—just maybe—stopped inviting Seymour to the meeting.
The most valuable skill in the room? Decision literacy.
Over the years, my teams at PSB Insights, Microsoft, and American Express have worked with C-suite executives, policymakers, and growth-stage organizations to navigate high-stakes ambiguity. What we’ve seen time and again is that the bottleneck isn’t usually information. It’s interpretation.
Moreover, interpretation isn’t just about intelligence. It’s about judgment: the ability to extract meaning, interrogate assumptions, weigh trade-offs, and move forward with intention (even when the data is messy or incomplete).
This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about building a culture where your team knows how to find them and, more importantly, how to act on them. You’ve seen it: the charts are polished, the insights are there, but the energy in the room is cautious. Teams hesitate, not because they’re uninformed, but because they’ve been trained to wait for the green light of certainty.
What if you created a different kind of room? One where people felt empowered to interpret, trust their synthesis, and take action. Where the goal wasn’t perfection but clarity.
That’s what decision leadership looks like. It’s not louder. It’s not faster. It’s sharper.
Let’s decide to decide
This is the beginning of a broader conversation. A new kind of leadership is emerging. One that blends the best of data with the best of human judgment. One that knows how to balance logic with instinct. Precision with perspective. Signal with story. Synthesis over statistics.
The future belongs to those who know when to pause, when to trust, and when to move.
So here’s the question:
- What decision are you currently sitting on? What would it take to move forward with clarity, even if the data isn’t perfect?
Drop me a note. Let’s learn from one another.
Let’s not measure better. Let’s decide smarter.
Christopher Frank, CEO
