Runway lights, not floodlights.

Most companies don’t need more data. They need clearer signals.

At night, pilots don’t land using floodlights. They rely on runway lights, a small number of signals, precisely placed, visible at the exact moment a decision must be made. The lights don’t explain the plane or the terrain. They simply guide the landing.

Data should work the same way. But in many organizations, data has become a floodlight: expansive, impressive, and ultimately distracting. Teams produce dashboards filled with accurate metrics that illuminate everything except what to do next. The result isn’t confidence, it’s hesitation.

Data creates value only when it reduces uncertainty at the moment a decision is required. When no one owns that decision, even high-quality data becomes background noise. This is how companies end up data-rich and decision-poor.

A useful reframe:

• Metrics should guide a specific decision, not document activity.
• If a number doesn’t change behavior, it’s not a signal, it’s scenery.
• Fewer signals, aligned to real decisions, outperform comprehensive dashboards.
• Ownership matters more than precision. Someone must be responsible for the landing.

Language to use with your team:
“We don’t need more visibility. We need clearer runway lights for this decision.”

Clarity enables confident landings.