# Most leaders misread their customer data

> A seven-year study of 72 companies finds executives spend hours collecting customer feedback but rely on gut feeling instead of science to interpret it.
- Title: Most leaders misread their customer data | Shortify
- Summary: A seven-year study of 72 companies finds executives spend hours collecting customer feedback but rely on gut feeling instead of science to interpret it…
- Keywords: customer data, business strategy, executive decision making, rice university, vikas mittal, productive conflict, rebecca newton, business, management, Most, leaders, misread
- Source: Harvard Business Review — https://hbr.org/2026/10/what-is-customer-data-actually-telling-you
- Author: Gretchen Gavett
- Published: 2026-10-13T12:25:59+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: customer data, business strategy, executive decision making, rice university, vikas mittal, productive conflict, rebecca newton, business, management
## The data collection problem
Ninety three percent of executives spend four to twelve hours weekly collecting customer feedback and monitoring competitors. Most then use intuition instead of science to interpret it.
## What goes wrong
Executives fixate on memorable recent comments rather than statistically important patterns. This leads them to focus on wrong value drivers, shift priorities frequently, and burden employees.
## The research behind it
Rice University's Vikas Mittal, Alessandro Piazza of the Jones School of Business, the University of South Florida's Sonam Singh, and the University of Texas at San Antonio's Ashwin Malshe studied seventy two companies over seven…
## Step one: confront assumptions
Start by accepting that customers might not value what you think they do. Challenge your existing beliefs about what drives customer value before proceeding further.
## Steps two through four
Learn to identify which value drivers matter most. Incorporate them into daily operations. Cut activities that add no value. Only then move to market your strategy.
## What leaders actually need
Executives have too much information, not too little. They need a valid way to prioritize it and the discipline to act on those priorities rather than on instinct.

> Executives don't lack information. They have too much of it.
## Building productive conflict
Organizational psychologist Rebecca Newton finds leaders must create space for debate and challenge. Disagreement is not disrespect. Four practices help teams debate well.
## How to debate better
Establish your team's purpose. Replace update meetings with question meetings. Build trust in intentions, not just competence. Address tensions quickly with constructive feedback.
## Key takeaway

Executives collect abundant customer data but use intuition rather than rigorous analysis to interpret it, causing them to focus on wrong priorities and harm business performance.