Know What's Happening in Leadership

That’s What Studies Are For

The article argues that the right question when proposing a study is not whether it will work, but whether the problem merits solving, the cost is justified, and the risk is manageable. It outlines four practical criteria—problem relevance, reasonable expense, limited damage, and sensible sequencing—for evaluating experimental proposals. Using a Parkinson’s disease research podcast as an example, it shows how low‑cost, high‑stakes studies can be justified even amid skepticism. The piece encourages organizations to embrace calculated experimentation rather than avoid failure.