The Data Says… I’m Lying

One phrase that I hear constantly in my line of work is “The data says”. It can be rephrased as “According to the data”, “Data shows”, or “The data implies”. If you stop and think about all the conversations that you have been a part of and this phrase pops up, try to remember the immediate feeling after hearing the phrase. Depending on the conversation, you may have felt enlightened by the piece of information you received. You might have felt alarmed by it. Or perhaps you felt defeated because you were on the losing end of the argument or debate. Whatever feelings were garnered from hearing the phrase, there is typically a moment of reflection over what we just heard. There is much power in that phrase, so that when used, the majority of people pause and reflect on what was just said. But I want to bring attention to how the phrase has been used to manipulate listeners into giving way to the speaker’s point of view. 

As speakers, instructors, or influencers, we want to place ourselves in a position of expertise and competency. We want to make sure we have accurate information in our presentations and conversations. This actually goes for everyday people; we tend to want to be right. But when the thirst to be right becomes all-consuming, that is when dangerous manipulation sets in. I was speaking with a former high school assistant principal, and he was telling me about what happened to the other head principals. He told me an eye-opening statement that one of the past principals made. The statement was this: “People assume that if you have a doctorate, you have all the right answers. I use this to my advantage. So when anyone questions my methods or answers, I answer them by stating, "The data says.” I thought that was wild. The principal actually admitted that when questioned, she just says “The data says”. My mind was blown. Why would you just lie like that? But as I sat back and thought about it, I knew why. The fear of being wrong is the why. That fear is so strong it can compel you to lie. How many times have you lied because you didn’t want to be wrong? I can raise my hand; I have been wrong countless times. I also can’t think of a time when I liked the feeling of being wrong. It's not the best feeling to feel incompetent, unprepared, or lacking knowledge. But no one has all the answers, and leaders need to understand this. If you are a principal, CEO, team captain, or in any position of leadership, you need to be honest and open about being wrong. If you’re not open and honest with your team, you open the door to manipulation.

We live in a time of information and technology. So data is readily available to be used for a person to speak from a position of knowledge and experience. But what will always trump knowledge and experience is humility and honesty. Humble enough to say you need help in your weak areas. Honest enough to say you don’t have the answers. People tend to remember those who lead in this manner more favorably than those who lead without those qualities. People actually believe those two qualities are foundational traits of great leaders and speakers. How do I know this? The data says so.