Three Hidden Biases That Undermine Your Decisions
Great leadership requires strong decisions. Yet biases can cloud judgment. Effective leaders counteract these biases and focus on future potential, not past commitments. Here are the three most common traps I see leaders fall into:
The status-quo bias keeps us stuck in familiar patterns, resisting change even when a better option exists.
The sunk-cost fallacy tempts us to double down on bad decisions simply because we’ve already invested time, money, or effort.
Confirmation bias leads us to seek out information that supports pre-existing beliefs and to disregard opposing information.
Awareness is the first step toward better decision-making. To avoid these pitfalls:
Challenge assumptions—Regularly question the reasoning behind your choices. Are you making a decision based on facts or comfort?
Seek diverse perspectives—Surround yourself with people who think differently. Fresh viewpoints can expose blind spots.
Focus on the future—Base decisions on potential outcomes, not past investments. A bad decision doesn’t become good just because you’ve committed to it.
The next time you’re faced with a choice, ask yourself: Am I choosing this because it’s the best option—or simply because it’s the easiest?