Cognitive dissonance creates a dangerous 'Ostrich Effect' in business, where leaders ignore critical problems to protect their emotional comfort. As Samsung learned with a $22 billion loss, this avoidance strategy can be catastrophic.

This video dives into the psychology of why we "fix the feeling, not the problem." Tracing the concept from Freud's defence mechanisms to Leon Festinger's groundbreaking Cognitive Dissonance Theory, we explain the mental discomfort that drives us to bury our heads in the sand. Learn the real-world costs of this bias: how it leads to unsolved problems, destroys team productivity by 20%, and cripples long-term strategic thinking.

Stop choosing temporary emotional comfort over the long-term health of your business. This analysis provides the framework to recognise and override this destructive instinct, empowering you to make decisions based on reality, not avoidance.

UNLOCK THE STRATEGIST'S EDGE

Your inbox deserves substance, not filler. Download the 100+ page Business Strategy Toolkit - “From Purpose To Profit.” Includes strategy templates, decision filters, and customer understanding frameworks to dissect, diagnose & dominate your strategy. No spam. Just clarity & rule-breaking insight.

Download here: https://www.erinandreacraske.com/strategy-toolkit

IN THIS EPISODE

00:00 The £22 Billion Warning: Samsung's Ostrich Moment

00:46 Why We Bury Our Heads: The Psychology of Avoidance

01:10 The Psychology of Avoidance (Cognitive Dissonance, Freud, Ancient Greeks)

01:46 Business Consequences: Productivity, Dysfunction & Delayed Damage with Data

02:28 Why Emotional Comfort Isn’t Free

03:06 Comfort vs. Clarity: The Painkiller Analogy

03:20 Beyond Avoidance: Towards Strategic Honesty

KEEP IN TOUCH

1. Fancy weekly quick-read summaries? Subscribe here: https://erinandreacraske.substack.com/
2. Enjoy video content? I’ve got you covered. The UNBOUND MIND. UNBOUND SELF YouTube channel awaits.
3. Ready to ditch the 4S of Stress, Struggle, Suffering, and Stuckness in one go and for all? Drop me a line on www.erinandreacraske.com or find me on LinkedIn.

Time to set yourself free!

ABOUT UNBOUND MIND

UNBOUND MIND confronts the prisons of our own making: Stress, Struggle, Suffering, and Stuckness.

We operate on one radical truth: the psychological traps that sink businesses are the exact same traps that screw your life and your mental health.

Here, we dissect the cognitive biases, flawed cultural narratives, and comfortable lies that keep you trapped. This isn't about easy, ego-soothing answers. It's about giving you the tools of provocative thinking to reclaim your power, forge resilience, and achieve true cognitive freedom.

This channel is a toolkit for leaders, thinkers, and anyone ready to take responsibility for their own mind.

Subscribe to get unbound.