Jun 24, 2024
What if the greatest threat to smart decision-making isn’t bad data, but how we interpret it?
In a world overflowing with information, even the most
seasoned leaders and investors fall for myths dressed up as facts.
Not because they’re uninformed, but because they’re human.
In this episode, I sat down with Alex Edmans, Professor of
Finance at London Business School and author of May Contain Lies, a
powerful new book about how stories, statistics, and studies
exploit our biases — and what we can do about it.
Alex draws on decades of research, Wall Street experience, and
real-world case studies to unpack why intelligent people fall for
misinformation and how we can sharpen our judgment in high-stakes
environments.
We talk about:
- The two cognitive biases that drive most bad decisions (and
how to spot them)
- Why people crave certainty, and how that blinds them to
nuance
- The dangers of “black-and-white thinking” in data and
decision-making
- How to build cultures that welcome dissent and intelligent
pushback
- Why evidence is not proof, and why context always
matters
Alex also shares practical ways to become more discerning,
even under pressure, and how to apply these insights in business,
leadership, and everyday life.
If you're responsible for making big calls based on research,
reports, or expert opinions, this conversation will help you
separate signal from noise and think more clearly in a world built
on persuasion.
Get May Contain Lies here: https://maycontainlies.com/
Learn more about Alex Edmans here: https://alexedmans.com/
Here are some free gifts for you:
Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free
download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach
McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf
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