In today’s episode, we uncover yet another dangerous psychological trap that keeps leaders pouring money and resources into failing projects—simply because they’ve already invested too much to walk away. I’m talking about the sunk cost fallacy.

Using examples from history, such as the Concorde jet, Quibi's billion-dollar flop, and Kodak's disastrous delay in embracing digital photography, we'll explore why leaders sometimes double down on doomed investments instead of cutting their losses. I'll also share actionable strategies to recognize and break free from this trap.

Don't let your past investments dictate your future. Tune in to learn how to make smarter decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and lead your business toward success. Plus, be sure to order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for a practical roadmap on how great leaders embrace evolutionary truth for outstanding business results.

In this episode:

- Introduction to the sunk cost fallacy

- The Concorde: A case study of sunk costs

- The psychology behind the sunk cost fallacy

- Three dangerous sunk cost traps in business

- Three proven tips to escape the sunk cost trap

References:

Harvard Business Review: The Hidden Traps in Decision Making, John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, and Howard Raiffa (September–October 1998) https://hbr.org/1998/09/the-hidden-traps-in-decision-making-2

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Science185,1124-1131(1974). DOI:10.1126/science.185.4157.1124 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.185.4157.1124

Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1981). The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211(4481), 453–458.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1685855

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences