When “data-driven” becomes data-edited
- Catherine Addor
- Aug 31
- 4 min read
To Be Credible, We Must Be Truthful
Innovation thrives on trust. Trust has only one unshakable foundation: truth.
We can talk about creative problem-solving, design thinking, or the latest instructional trend, but if our leadership isn’t grounded in truthfulness, none of it sticks. Credibility isn’t built by being liked or by never making mistakes. It’s built by being honest consistently, even when it’s inconvenient.
When “data-driven” becomes data-edited:
A former superintendent once asked me to modify our district goals charts to remove the years led by their predecessor. With those years included, the charts told a clear story: progress toward most goals dipped significantly in the first two years of the new administration, then began to climb — but hadn’t yet reached the predecessor’s levels. The edited charts were intended for leadership meetings, the board, and the public.
I did not remove the data. I gave the superintendent full access to my report and the raw data it came from. If context were to be omitted, it would be their choice, not mine.
That moment was a reminder: a twist of the truth is still untruth. Omitting context distorts decisions, erodes culture, and mortgages long-term credibility for short-term comfort. The deeper problem is this: any system that allows such omissions without question is already compromised. When the rules and culture permit truth to be trimmed, they mislead stakeholders and drive away administrators, faculty, and staff whose integrity will not let them participate in the deception. Over time, the system is left with fewer truth-tellers and more caretakers of the narrative.
Why truth fuels innovation:
Truth clarifies priorities. Honest baselines focus the work on the right problems.
Truth builds resilience. People can weather change if they trust they’re getting the real story.
Truth invites collaboration. Transparency signals psychological safety and unlocks better ideas.
Questions to ask yourself as the year begins:
Am I telling the full truth or a filtered version? Would my team be surprised by what’s left out?
Do my actions match my words? If someone shadowed me for a week, would they say I walk my talk?
When I err, do I own it quickly and openly? Or do I try to manage perception first?
Have I made it safe to disagree with me? When was the last time someone pushed back and felt protected doing it?
Where might our dashboards omit context? If the timeline were fully restored, would the story change?
What truths am I avoiding because they’re unpopular? What’s the cost of that avoidance to students, staff, and families?
Action steps for a truth-driven start:
Open with candor. In your first meetings, name three things that are working and three that aren’t with evidence, not blame.
Publish full time-series. For key metrics, show at least 5 years (or since inception). No cropping to “the good part.”
Add a “What’s Missing” box to every data slide: limits, assumptions, data gaps, and known caveats.
Create a Data Integrity note in all reports: who pulled the data, from where, on what date, and how it was cleaned. Archive the raw.
Red-team your narrative. Before presenting, ask two colleagues to challenge the story the data appears to tell. Adjust accordingly.
Model public accountability. If a commitment slips, acknowledge it, explain the fix, and set a new, realistic date.
Invite early feedback. Launch a short, anonymous “truth check” form for staff: What do you see that leadership might be missing? Close the loop with responses.
Protect dissent. State explicitly that respectful disagreement is welcome and demonstrate it the first time it happens.
Align decisions to evidence. When you choose a path that conflicts with data, name the non-data rationale (values, equity, legal, timing) and document it.
Set review cadences. Schedule quarterly “reality checks” where you revisit goals, reset baselines if needed, and communicate shifts transparently.
Data integrity guardrails:
No deletions, only annotations. Context isn’t a threat; it’s the compass.
The latest isn’t always truest. Prefer stable trends over one-off spikes.
Comparisons must be comparable. Same definitions, windows, and populations or clearly labeled adjustments.
If restoring the missing years would embarrass us, we have improvement work to do, not graphics to edit.
The long shadow of half-truths:
The superintendent’s request to erase certain years from the district’s goals chart was about rewriting the narrative. Removing that context didn’t change reality; it simply concealed it.
By refusing to alter the data and instead providing both the full report and the raw source material, I drew my own line in the sand. The choice to omit context would be theirs, not mine. That decision may have felt small in the moment, but it reinforced something essential: once credibility is compromised, it’s nearly impossible to regain.
As leaders, we often face subtle pressures to smooth over imperfections or frame results in the most flattering light. The truth in its entirety is what earns the trust that innovation needs to flourish. People will forgive missteps if they believe they’re getting the real story. They will not forgive being misled.
Here’s the deeper cost: every time the system tolerates half-truths, it risks losing the people who refuse to participate in them. Those with the courage to protect accuracy and context are often the same people who bring the strongest vision and integrity to the work. When they leave, the organization loses not just talent, but its moral compass.
The start of the academic year is the perfect moment to recommit to telling the whole story, dips, climbs, and all. If we want our teams, students, and communities to take risks, to share bold ideas, and to push for better outcomes, they need to believe in the integrity of the person leading them. That belief begins, always, with the truth.
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