No doubt, the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data. It helps prevent fraud, improves member experiences and improves millions of lives each and every day. But data is not everything. We need the human mind, heart and soul. We need to add humanity to the overwhelming data tsunami. We need to rely also on our instincts and hunches by training them constantly. Let’s get started by digesting the most important stories of the week: Five emerging technologies for rapid digital transformation. "The most successful IT leaders are implementing technologies which have a quick and direct business impact, and tackling processes one by one instead of attempting to boil the ocean. While most businesses have invested in business intelligence tools to help inform their digital transformation throughout the year, many of the top IT directors are also investing in quick to value technologies such as mobile experience solutions to help drive immediate benefit and show value to the C-suite." Interesting Thought: Bots won't just help us buy stuff. They'll help us become better version of ourselves. "As the volume, velocity, variety, and value of data increases, so does the importance of governance. To better deliver the productivity essential to growth and the creativity essential to customer experience, executives must acknowledge that technology has rendered a classic aphorism anachronistic. “Know thyself” needs to become “Know thyselves.”" Experts caution against cramming Tech, Gadgets and Gizmos in Branches. “Improving the overall experience will do far more for driving consumer loyalty and deeper and more profitable relationships. Technology should be used to enhance the experience.” You don’t need permission to be a leader. “Leadership isn’t about what we do for a living; it’s simply about what we do. The distinction is critical because true leadership inspires hope. The surprising threat to the American Economy. "Our economy is increasingly dependent on debt, and it now requires more and more credit to eke out the same percentage point of economic growth. It’s telling that year-over-year growth in personal spending on goods routinely surpassed 11% during the economic expansions of the 1960s and 1970s. But by the 1990s, that figure never got above 9%, and during the 2002-07 expansion it peaked at just 7.7%. In the current expansion, spending growth on goods got as high as 5.9% in early 2015. It was recently at 3.6%."