Experienced leaders often make poor decisions because they rely too heavily on past experiences, even when current situations are fundamentally different.

Their judgment is distorted by unconscious emotions and cognitive biases such as confirmation bias, anchoring, and personal attachments.

Leaders can become trapped by their past successes or professional identity (“this is how we’ve always done it”), which prevents adaptive and flexible thinking.

Effective decision-making requires diverse perspectives, deliberate questioning of assumptions, and structured processes — elements that are often overlooked.

The key lesson is that even smart, seasoned leaders should intentionally build “safety nets,” such as alternative scenarios and checklists, to catch warning signs of flawed thinking.