In today’s leadership spark, I chat with bestselling author and Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, Chip Heath, about the challenges and nuances of communicating with numbers and data. Chip underscores the difficulty people often face with fractions and percentages, as seen with A&W's marketing misstep against McDonald's.
Chip also mentions the "curse of knowledge", where expertise can cloud one's understanding of a novice's perspective. Throughout our conversation, we delved into the significance of making data relatable and meaningful. By converting abstract numbers into tangible concepts, like likening the number of preventable sepsis deaths to annual cancer diagnoses, data becomes not only more understandable but also emotionally resonant, effectively engaging and motivating audiences
Chip Heath is one of the 100+ CEOs I interviewed for my new book, Leading With Vulnerability which is coming out in October: https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Vulnerability-Superpower-Transform-Organization/dp/1119895243/)
Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email: https://greatleadership.substack.com/)
