Introduction

The topic of data and its role in leadership has become both divisive and expansive over the past decade. As our access to data of all forms increases and tools to manage and analyse data have become more mainstream and accessible, naturally the use of data for management approaches and decisions has also grown. The issue arises in just how many approaches have been used to integrate data use into leadership and management and how many lack clear requirements of data literacy and ethics and good and compassionate leadership. These inconsistent and at times ill-informed approaches along with a widening gap in data literacy in the workplace have understandably encouraged a mistrust of data for leadership, hindering the ability for leaders to collect and use data even with the most effective approach.

Despite this context in which using data in leadership sits, and the clear challenges in this area, the ability to use data effectively is one of the most important skills a leader can have. Using data for decision-making can be a fundamental tool not just for achieving organisational goals, but crucially for enabling compassionate leadership and creating workplaces which truly focus on wellbeing and putting changes in place to enable the wellbeing of colleagues and service users. This chapter will explore why we need to use data in leadership and how we can go about this in a kind and compassionate way. We will explore how your approaches to data use can maximise your ability as a leader to create a genuinely compassionate workplace, giving you the tools to make decisions using data and bring colleagues along with you on this journey.