Evidence-Based Leadership
Leaders often use evidence to confirm decisions they have already made. Evidence-based leadership is different: using data, user insight, stakeholder views, critical questioning, and professional judgement to test assumptions and change direction when the evidence points somewhere new.
Technique Overview
Evidence-Based Leadership Definition
Evidence-based leadership means using different forms of evidence, critical questioning, and professional judgement to test assumptions before making a decision, not to confirm one which has already been made. It draws on data, user insight, stakeholder views, and experience together, then stays open to changing direction when the evidence disagrees with the plan. For example, a leader who assumes a new process is working checks completion data and asks frontline staff directly, rather than only reviewing figures that support what they already believe.
Evidence-Based Leadership Description *
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Business Evidence
Strengths, weaknesses and examples of Evidence-Based Leadership *
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Business Application
Implementation, success factors and measures of Evidence-Based Leadership *
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Professional Tools
Evidence-Based Leadership videos and downloads *
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Further Reading
Evidence-Based Leadership web and print resources *
Evidence-Based Leadership references (4 of up to 20) *
- American Society for Quality (ASQ) (nd) Five Whys and Five Hows. Available at: asq.org/quality-resources/five-whys
- Barends, E. and Rousseau, D.M. (2018) Evidence-Based Management: How to Use Evidence to Make Better Organizational Decisions. London: Kogan Page.
- Cabinet Office and HM Treasury (2026) Evaluation Task Force Strategy 2026 to 2029. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-task-force-strategy-2026-2029
- Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) (2014) Evidence-Based Management: The Basic Principles. Available at: cebma.org/assets/Uploads/Evidence-Based-Practice-The-Basic-Principles.pdf
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