The systematic errors that compromise decision quality
Every leader operates with cognitive biases. The question is whether you're aware of them and whether you've built systems to counteract them.
This 20-part series examines the most consequential biases for strategic decision-making. Each post includes a diagnosis framework and an executive tool you can deploy immediately.
Start with Post 1 for the meta-frame, or navigate directly to a specific failure mode.
The foundation: bias as systematic error, the input-story-action chain, and the Bias-Proof Decision Memo.
Personal failure modes that persist despite intelligence and experience.
A decision-quality operating system for high-stakes environments.
When prejudice and assumption become invisible even to ourselves.
When frameworks help and when they become cognitive prisons.
Why studying success teaches the wrong lessons.
When "thinking differently" becomes a shortcut to status.
Escalation of commitment in strategy, hiring, and product decisions.
Why quick wins undermine long-term value.
How memorable cases distort probability assessment.
The power of the first number and how to set better anchors.
How teams build cases for what they already believe.
Why "we should have known" corrupts learning.
Judging decisions by outcomes and why it fails.
Why we blame character and miss context.
Why bad news dominates and how to rebalance.
Overestimating visibility and its impact on executive presence.
Why timelines slip and how to forecast better.
The gap between confidence and accuracy and how to close it.
When activity substitutes for effectiveness.
If these patterns are showing up in your organization, we can build a systematic approach to decision quality.
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