Insight       04 March 2025

Leadership Perseveration

Remember Kodak? Nokia? Blockbuster?

These giants fell because they couldn't let go of what once made them great. They became victims of marketing myopia or what we call in business psychology 'leadership perseveration', a phenomenon where past success becomes your biggest obstacle. 

The Trap

Think about it: How often have you heard "But this is our business model” or “This is how it is done” 
Let's explore why even brilliant leaders fall into this trap: 
Psychology Behind Perseveration: 
  • Success bias creates mental anchors
  • Confirmation bias filters contradictory data 
  • Comfort with familiarity over innovation 

  • Identity attachment to past strategies 
Warning Signs to Watch: 
  • Dismissing disruptive threats
  • Overemphasis on past metrics 
  • Defensive posture towards change 

  • Outdated resource allocation 

  • Language of limitation
Breaking Free: 
  • Cultivate cognitive diversity
  • Implement devil's advocate protocols 
  • Adopt scenario planning  

  • Practice strategic abandonment  

  • Engage with disruptors 
Something to think about: Yesterday's victory lap can become tomorrow's stumbling block. What do you need to let go of?

The Trap

Think about it: How often have you heard "But this is our business model” or “This is how it is done” 
Let's explore why even brilliant leaders fall into this trap: 
Psychology Behind Perseveration:
  • Success bias creates mental anchors
  • Confirmation bias filters contradictory data
  • Comfort with familiarity over innovation
  • Identity attachment to past strategies 
Warning Signs to Watch:
  • Dismissing disruptive threats
  • Overemphasis on past metrics
  • Defensive posture towards change
  • Outdated resource allocation
  • Language of limitation
Breaking Free:
  • Cultivate cognitive diversity
  • Implement devil's advocate protocols
  • Adopt scenario planning
  • Practice strategic abandonment
  • Engage with disruptors 
Something to think about: Yesterday's victory lap can become tomorrow's stumbling block. What do you need to let go of?

Further Reading