Good commentary. Nearly all complex problems require a level of systems thinking - and that can only really be done visually and is enhanced by group interaction. I often use a tool called Consideo for this. See http://www.consideo-modeler.de/english/index.html or give me a call to discuss its uses.

One cannot prescribe an "either-or" conclusion. Both have their place and the majority of complex decisions require a certain amount of both. There are many factors to consider including the availability of data and the "uniqueness" of the situation - to say nothing of the behavioural biases of our minds.
A useful quote is "If you are going to understand the biases, emotions, and offsets of your decision-making compass which may effectually trump your domain knowledge and result in poor judgments, you must learn to “observe all men, but yourself most.”

It may be interesting to combine the thoughts of this book with "The speed of trust" by Stephen Covey. By looking at the underlying elements of trust , it may be easier to build it. Have a look at my summary article and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts. http://wp.me/pYKcJ-7L