In leadership, it’s easy to get caught up in the obvious metrics—revenue, growth charts, student test scores, dollars allocated. These numbers matter. They provide the scaffolding for our strategies and the justification for our decisions.
But the real work of leadership—whether you’re an entrepreneur, an educator, or a policymaker—is to look beyond what’s visible and to ask:
What am I not seeing?
What stories aren’t told in the headline numbers?
What unintended consequences are lurking in the shadows of our well-meaning efforts?
This pursuit of hidden insights is not optional. It’s the very heart of servant leadership—of designing systems and solutions that truly serve the people they’re meant to support.
Complexity Has a Cost
Let me give you an example from my world: the E-rate program.
For over 27 years, I’ve worked alongside schools and libraries as they navigate this vital source of funding—helping them connect students and patrons to the internet. The program delivers billions of dollars in support each year. By many measures, it’s a success story.
But when we dug deeper into the data from last year’s E-rate Applicant Survey—capturing over 2,300 voices across the country—we uncovered a different story.
- We found that the most vulnerable schools, the ones with the highest poverty rates, were less likely to apply for cybersecurity funding—because the application process was too complex.
- We discovered a “success penalty” pattern, where schools that had made progress with faster internet faced greater regulatory burdens and higher costs.
- We learned that timing shapes perception—schools surveyed after their funding requests often felt discouraged, while those surveyed earlier were far more positive.
These aren’t just interesting tidbits. They are critical insights—the kind that reveal where good intentions aren’t enough, and where complexity quietly undermines equity.
I wrote about these findings in more detail here: 3 Hidden Insights from Last Year’s E-rate Survey—and Why Your Voice Matters.
But this isn’t just an E-rate story.
The Bigger Lesson: Leadership Requires Curiosity
Every leader, in every field, faces the same challenge:
Are we content to stay at the surface, or are we willing to dig deeper—to ask hard questions, to seek out hidden patterns, and to wrestle with the unintended consequences of our decisions?
The truth is, complexity is a double-edged sword. The systems we build—whether a funding program, a startup, a curriculum, or a government policy—can either lift people up or leave them behind, often in ways we never intended.
That’s why I believe in the power of asking questions like:
- Who might be excluded from this process, even if it’s open to all?
- What burdens are we unintentionally placing on those we’re trying to serve?
- How does success in our system change what people need from us?
These questions aren’t just theoretical. They’re a blueprint for intentional, thoughtful leadership—the kind that builds equity, not just efficiency; resilience, not just results.
A Call to Action for Leaders
So here’s my challenge for all of us:
Let’s commit to being leaders who seek the hidden insights.
Let’s make it a habit to ask:
- What aren’t we seeing?
- Who do we need to listen to more closely?
- What unintended consequences might be lurking in our best-laid plans?
If you’re part of the E-rate community, I encourage you to make your voice heard: Complete the 2025 E-rate Applicant Survey. Your feedback helps uncover the deeper truths that drive positive change.
And for all of us, whether we’re leading a business, a classroom, or a community—let’s stay curious. Let’s keep asking the deeper questions. That’s how we grow.
Together, we can build systems—and a future—that truly works for everyone.
