Pie Charts – Not So Tasty
The tech website Gizmodo recently posted an article that displays the data for the most popular photos of the year. It examines what cameras they were shot with and the settings that were used to shoot them. Unfortunately, this is a classic example of interesting data that was displayed poorly. An example:
2012 Latino Vote
While we all probably have opinions on the outcomes of the 2012 elections, one data point has clearly caught the attention of the media. The Latino vote mattered and it will have an even bigger […]
Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century
An article from the Harvard Business Review we can get behind:
So exactly how “open” is open data?
So just how “open” is open data?
A recent article by David Eaves in Slate entitled “Lies, Damned Lies and Open Data” nicely summarizes one of the emerging challenges that face advocates of “open data.” (For those unfamiliar with the term, the open data movement urges government to make information available through “open data portals that share . . information like budgets, product recalls, factory pollution levels, and crime data”
Context is king: Learn how to fish.
OK, so context is important. But to focus on “everything” is to focus on nothing. Without some sort of filter to determine what’s significant, the world, to quote William James, is a “great, buzzing confusion.” Eventually you must decide which contextual elements are most important with respect to achieving your organization’s mission. So how to prioritize?
Well, the philosophy of science tells us that we have a couple of choices. We could start with some a priori assumptions about what makes for effective leadership. Approaching the problem this way means that you rigidly apply those Seven Habits or Six Sigma or One-Minute or Four-Hour principles to every situation, because those are the fixed principles you must accept as valid in every situation and for every leader.
The First Degree of Freedom: Context is king.
I’ve got a dirty little secret to share with you today.
Buried deep inside the guts of far too many popular books on leadership, lies a seductive premise. It’s a premise that sells a lot of books, and it goes something like this:
“This books contains Ingredient X, the secret to success as a leader in all circumstances and settings. If only you master the art of X, and perform it rigorously in all situations you face as a leader, then you will succeed.”
So X is whatever the author claims to be the secret of success as a leader. Just master that key perspective or skill and make sure that you rigorously apply it to every situation. Be consistent in practicing these enumerated habits or those leadership secrets of Abraham Lincoln/ Jesus Christ/ Attila the Hun and you will be the effective leader you aspire to become.
