Episode Overview

Podcast: No Bullsh!t Leadership
Host: Martin G Moore
Episode: Moment 158 – How Do You Get Good at the Numbers?
Date: February 1, 2026

Martin G Moore delivers a candid, actionable 6-minute segment focused on why numeracy is a critical, yet often overlooked, leadership skill. Aimed at non-finance leaders, Marty breaks down why understanding “the numbers” is not just for CFOs, and what to do if you feel behind. This episode is a short, hard-hitting reality check for anyone who aspires to exceptional leadership.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Dangers of Innumeracy in Leadership

• Real-world impacts: Moore cites a high-profile UK court case where leaders' poor grasp of statistics led to a wrongful conviction.
  • "A woman being convicted and subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment based largely on flawed and misleading statistical evidence from the prosecution." (01:07)
• Systemic problem: Not unique to law—CEOs, politicians, and doctors all make far-reaching decisions with poor numeracy.
  • "They think they're really smart, but they can't recognize their own basic lack of competency with numbers." (02:12)

Self-Awareness About Your Numeracy Skills

• Test yourself: Have your numeracy skills been formally tested since high school or university?
  • "If you struggled or scored poorly in any of these, it's likely that your level of numeracy has not improved since then. Unless, of course, you've taken deliberate steps to improve it." (03:03)
• Frontline vs. advanced leadership: Basic number skills may suffice in junior roles, but not as you progress.

Core Numeracy Skills for Leaders

• Essential Finance Know-How:
  • Reading the P&L: You must understand financial statements to improve team performance.
    • "If you can't read financial statements, you have no chance of working out what to do to improve your team's performance." (03:37)
  • Project investment basics: Assess spend vs. return; evaluate opportunity cost.
  • Stewardship: Channel resources wisely, even if not a finance expert.
    • "You don’t need to be an expert in liquidity or leverage ratios, but you do need to know the numbers well enough to work out where you should channel your resources and how to be a good steward of your company’s money." (04:17)
• Leadership standard: If you lack skills, ensure someone on your team excels with numbers.
  • "You don’t have to be an expert in everything, but the combined skill set in your leadership team has to cover all the major food groups. If you don’t have it, hire it." (05:19)

Practical Tips for Improving Numeracy

• Books and formal education aren’t always practical:
  • "Reading financial how-to books is just going to crush your spirit. And not all of us can afford to attend a week at Harvard Business School to study their Finance for Senior Managers program." (04:54)
• Best approach? Shadow a finance pro:
  • "The best way to get up the experience curve quickly is to find a good finance person who's willing to spend a couple of hours explaining the ins and outs of the financial statements. If you can at least understand those, it's going to get you by for a while." (05:03)
  • If you don’t “take to it like a duck to water,” ensure someone on your team has this strength.

Further Resources

• Moore recommends Episode 320: “Is data illiteracy holding you back?” for deeper learning. (05:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On inflated self-views:
  "It only takes a few promotions and a succession of people telling you how good you are for many senior leaders to start believing their own bullshit." (02:19)

• On essential numeracy for leaders:
  "Numeracy is a tangible, measurable capability which is an essential competency for decision making." (02:26)

• On learning from finance experts:
  "If you don’t take to that like a duck to water, it’s a pretty good sign that you’ll need someone reporting to you who is rock solid with the numbers." (05:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:07] – Case study: faulty statistics and wrongful imprisonment
• [02:12] – The prevalence of poor numeracy among senior decision-makers
• [03:03] – Self-awareness: when were your numeracy skills last tested?
• [03:37] – The non-negotiable need to read financial statements in leadership
• [04:17] – How far you really need to go with finance knowledge
• [04:54] – Why books and courses may not be the best route
• [05:03] – Moore’s practical advice: learn directly from finance experts
• [05:19] – Ensuring your leadership team covers all the “food groups” of skills
• [05:38] – Recommended further listening: Episode 320

Final Takeaway

Marty’s message is clear:
If you want to progress as a leader, you cannot afford to be innumerate. Whether you master the numbers yourself or build a team that complements your gaps, the ability to analyze data is a non-negotiable for making high-quality decisions and stewarding your company’s resources.

For more, listen to Episode 320: “Is data illiteracy holding you back?”