The big data revolution has proven masterful in allowing us to achieve new standards of efficiency, and helping to guide us through the murky world of decision making.

But it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that everything has a counterpoint.

Despite the pop culture bluster around data, what I’ve observed is that many leaders are avoiding blame by letting the numbers dictate their decisions. 

That is to say, they’re using data and ‘best practices’ to justify staying with the pack, meaning our newfound ocean of intelligence isn’t helping us to be different, it’s proving potent in making us one of the herd.

But the objective is to be the needle, not the hay stack.