Informationleading

Informationleading is a leadership approach that treats information as a strategic asset shaping organizational direction. In informationleading, leaders emphasize high-quality data, transparent information flows, and evidence-based decision making to align strategy, operations, and culture. The term has appeared in management and information science discourse since the early 2020s as an emerging way to describe how information assets influence leadership practice.

Core components include robust information governance, data literacy across the workforce, and analytics-enabled decision making. Informationleading requires clear ownership and accountability for data, interoperable data systems, and governance frameworks that balance speed with privacy and security. Leaders cultivate a culture of information sharing, critical evaluation of evidence, and continual learning to adapt to changing conditions.

Applications vary by sector. In business, informationleading can be realized through dashboards, real-time performance metrics, and cross-functional analytics that inform strategy and resource allocation. In government and non-profits, it can involve open data, evidence reviews, and policy decisions guided by data. In both realms, informationleading aims to connect data collection and analysis directly to strategic priorities and operational outcomes.

Advantages include more responsive strategy, better alignment between data and actions, and increased transparency. Challenges include data quality and governance, privacy concerns, potential bias in data or models, information overload, and the risk of overemphasizing metrics at the expense of qualitative insight. Related concepts include data-driven leadership, information governance, and knowledge management.