Beyond Belief: Why Leaders Must Ask “Where’s the Evidence?” | Dr. Helen Pearson explains

Dr. Helen Pearson, Senior Editor at Nature and Honorary Professor of Practice in the UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies, shares key insights from her book Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works. This meeting overview captures a focused conversation with Dr. Helen Pearson, senior editor at Nature and award winning science journalist, centered on her book Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works and the broader “evidence revolution” in medicine, policy, and management. Through historical cases such as Dr. Benjamin Spock’s front sleeping advice and the rise of evidence based medicine led by figures like Dr. Iain Chalmers and Dr. Archie Cochrane, the discussion traces how rigorous trials, systematic reviews, and accountability structures have transformed clinical practice while exposing harmful traditions. Dr. Pearson highlights the personality traits of evidence pioneers, the persistence of ineffective practices like knee arthroscopy, and the surprising lag of business and management in adopting evidence based approaches, despite a substantial research base. She also reflects on COVID 19 as a stress test for the evidence pipeline, arguing for a pluralistic view of evidence beyond randomized trials, and concludes with practical “evidence hacks” for leaders and personal lessons as a journalist, teacher, and parent navigating contested issues such as screen time and adolescent mental health. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. Disclaimer: 1. The background music incorporated in this video is the intellectual property of its respective developer and is protected under applicable copyright laws. Notwithstanding that it is a free-to-use version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy, and Deepak Bhatt do not own, and expressly do not claim, any rights, title, or interest in or to this music. 2. Dr. Helen Pearson shared key insights from her book, “Beyond Belief: How Evidence Shows What Really Works”, in an engaging episode of the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted content, so changing any graphics, music, or on-screen appearance of the author or host is not allowed.