Empirical Leadership

In one sentence, here's how to become a better leader and make your organization more effective: Do what the evidence says to do, and then go beyond what's known and imagine what's possible.

I'm an empiricist (in the same way some people are Republicans or Democrats). That means I make decisions based on data, not just on what others are doing, not on philosophy or intuition, and definitely not on what most people are doing. If the data says an action will get a better result, empiricists try their best to do it.
When leaders become empiricists, they are guided by all available evidence, letting that data tell them the right thing to do. When they reach the edge of the cliff of what is known, they jump off, creating visions or futures of what can be. The result is great companies, like Agilent Technologies (A), Intuit (INTU), or Edwards Lifesciences (EW) -- all companies that have impressed me with their focus on empirical decision-making.

What often surprises people in "empirical leadership" sessions is that there is an emerging new way to lead. It doesn't require believing anything other than empirical data. It gets better results than what's dominated the field for the last century. Employees love it, shareholders enjoy the benefits and the methods delight customers.