Think of a Number

Abstract

Peter Mandelson once said that most people don’t understand statistics or, if they do, they think that they are bullshit. He had a point. Half of British adults do not have the mathematical skills expected of an 11 year old.¹ Numbers just don’t work for a lot of people. I’ve worked with high-profile people who regularly confused millions and billions, even in press conferences: most of the time, the journalists didn’t notice either. Research shows that the brain is only capable of processing seven bits of data at a time.² Nevertheless, so many modern leaders think you’re not leading effectively if you don’t have a never-ending blitzkrieg of stats up your sleeve.

‘There are three types of lies — lies, damned lies and statistics.’

Benjamin Disraeli