You would think being smart would protect you from making dumb decisions.

You would be wrong.

In this episode of Biz-Souls, Rona Lewis and Jeffrey Hansler take on one of the great mysteries of human behavior: Why do intelligent people sometimes make spectacularly stupid decisions?

And, because this is Biz-Souls, the discussion begins with Jeffrey limping into the conversation with an injured foot. Apparently, nothing - not pain, not common sense, and certainly not Jeffrey’s ability to stay on topic - is going to stop this podcast.

The real subject, however, is much more serious.

Smart people aren't necessarily better at avoiding bias. Sometimes they're simply better at defending the bias they've already chosen.

That's where things get interesting.

Rona and Jeffrey dig into confirmation bias, ego, overconfidence, rationalization, analysis paralysis, stress, fear of being wrong, and the wonderfully human tendency to surround ourselves with people who agree with us.

Because apparently one of the most dangerous sentences in business is, I already know I'm right.’

The conversation moves into leadership, where intelligence can become particularly dangerous when it's combined with ego and a lack of feedback. The hosts point to the Challenger disaster as a sobering example of very smart people participating in a very bad decision.

Then there's the social-media problem.

Give the algorithm one opinion you already hold and surprise! It can enthusiastically feed you 90 million more reasons why you're right. Soon you're not researching an idea. You're assembling a personalized evidence department whose only job is to agree with you.

And here's the uncomfortable part: Nobody is immune to cognitive bias. Not CEOs. Not scientists. Not doctors. Not podcasters. Not Jeffrey. Not Rona. And definitely not the person who just nodded vigorously while reading that last sentence.

The episode ultimately comes back to a deceptively simple leadership skill of self-awareness.

• Are you willing to question your own assumptions?

• Are you willing to hear information that disagrees with you?

• Are you checking yourself or merely looking for evidence that confirms what you already believe?

Because intelligence and rationality aren't the same thing. Being smart can help you solve problems. It can also make you remarkably creative at explaining why your bad idea wasn't actually a bad idea.

As Rona and Jeffrey discover, the goal isn't to eliminate bias—we're wired for it. The goal is to recognize it, challenge it, and occasionally admit that the person sitting across the table might actually have a point.

So, grab your favorite cognitive bias, put it in a nice little leadership suit, and join us for a conversation about smart people, dumb decisions, ego, algorithms, and the uncomfortable possibility that the person who needs to rethink the decision might be you.

And yes, Jeffrey's foot is still hurting. Apparently, even critical thinking has a deductible.

Make him feel better and like, subscribe, follow, and share this episode for medicinal purposes.

Related Biz-Souls Episodes:

Episode 61: Bias, Business, and Bad Ass Chris Rock

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/

• https://www.youtube.com/@biz-souls3926

Episode 125: How to Retrain Your Brain with Kelley Raleigh

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Sl8zVZB6Jx5DMHg8lN9aH

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA4P9HvbKVI

Episode 136: Mature Gnome with Ego

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/4SrTBRzWZ9MbhycJw5Nkwv

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl6sKzNUWTo

Episode 137: Just Say No! Maybe.

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/5O9pVnMLtrVRHfSrkE3dZn

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0ffpbkA2n8

Episode 151: Bias in the Media

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/

• https://www.youtube.com/@biz-souls3926

Episode 201: Bayes, Brains, and the Breakdown of Internet Illusion

• https://open.spotify.com/episode/

• https://www.youtube.com/@biz-souls3926