The Danger of Only Studying Success

About this episode

This episode explores the dangers of focusing solely on success and the importance of learning from failure through the insights of Abraham Wald during World War II.

What if the lessons you’re learning from success are leading you in the wrong direction? In this episode, we revisit astunning insight from World War II, where Abraham Wald changed the course of military strategy—not with weapons, but with a shift in perspective. By showing that the real danger lies in what we don’t see, Wald exposed the blind spot of survivorship bias. We dive deep into what this means for today’s leaders: how chasing success stories can leave you vulnerable, how missing data skews decisions, and why learning from failure isn’t optional—it’s essential. If you’ve ever armored the wrong part of your plan, this story will stick with you. Because sometimes, the greatest leadership insight is found in what didn’t survive. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie’s simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer…

People in this episode

Host: Matthew Confer

Topics covered

• leadership
• success
• failure
• decision making
• survivorship bias

Keywords

• leadership
• success
• failure
• decision making
• survivorship bias
• military strategy
• learning

Sponsors

Abilitie

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