Source: The Problem with the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom Hierarchy by David WeinbergerWe get to knowledge — especially “actionable” knowledge — by having desires and curiosity, through plotting and play, by being wrong more often than right, by talking with others and forming social bonds, by applying methods and then backing away from them, by calculation and serendipity, by rationality and intuition, by institutional processes and social roles.
Most important in this regard, where the decisions are tough and knowledge is hard to come by, knowledge is not determined by information, for it is the knowing process that first decides which information is relevant, and how it is to be used.
Credit: David Weinberger
Posts where this quotation is embedded
- The DIKW (data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) Pyramid Why the DIKW model falls short
Books: David Weinberger (1)
Quotations: David Weinberger (6)
- Business Is a Conversation David Weinberger
- Conversations Occur Between Equals David Weinberger
- Conversations Overcome the Class Structure of Business David Weinberger
- For All Our Knowledge, We Have No Idea What We’re Talking About David Weinberger
- Implicit Knowledge Isn’t There the Way Ore Is Buried David Weinberger
- What Is a Knowledge Worker? David Weinberger David Weinberger (2000)
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In-person, 7–11 September 2026, Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. Many leadership approaches still rely on control, expertise, and tools that no longer fit the realities people face.
This week-long immersive workshop brings people together to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience. It is not a training course but a space to slow down, think together, and explore how leadership emerges through dialogue, responsibility, and real engagement.