What comes to mind when you hear this word? Is it positive or negative?

For me, it’s both positive and negative.

The good

On its best days, data is a compass.
It can help cut through fog.
It reveals patterns we’d likely never see on our own.
It helps us make better decisions, tell clearer stories, and move with confidence.

The bad

On its worst days, data is a crutch.
A shield we hide behind.
It can be incomplete, misleading, or twisted to defend our bias.
And when fear takes the wheel, organizations don’t just use data; they defer every decision to it.

Finding the right balance

The real work isn’t to pick a side.
It’s to hold the tension.

To let it inform, not dictate.
To stay gut driven, but also data informed.
To stay curious enough to consider it, but brave enough to act even when the data doesn’t support it.