Even the smartest leaders get it wrong sometimes. In fact, leadership history is full of moments that seemed sensible at the time… and spectacularly misguided in hindsight.
Looking back, these decisions can look baffling. But they offer something far more useful than a chuckle – they remind us how easy it is for confident experts, strong strategies and widely accepted assumptions to miss what’s coming next.
Here are 5 leadership decisions that didn’t quite go to plan…
“No one will want a computer at home”
In 1977 the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation predicted the home computer would never take off.
At the time this probably felt reasonable. Computers were enormous, expensive machines used mainly by businesses and universities.
Today there are more computers than people on the planet.
Turns out having a vision for the future is harder than it looks – especially when the future doesn’t resemble the present.
“Rail travel at high speed is not possible”
In the early 1800s some experts argued that travelling at high speed by train would be dangerous for passengers.
At the time “high speed” meant around 30 miles per hour.
Today, trains can travel at over 180 mph.
It’s a good reminder that leadership often means questioning assumptions – particularly the ones everyone else seems certain about.
“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible”
In 1895 Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society and one of the most respected scientists of his time, confidently declared that flying machines heavier than air would never work.
Eight years later the Wright brothers proved otherwise.
Which just goes to show: even technical experts can miss what’s coming next.
The Maginot Line
After the First World War, France built an enormous defensive fortification along its border with Germany.
The Maginot Line was considered one of the most advanced military defence systems ever constructed — a vast network of bunkers, artillery and underground railways designed to prevent invasion.
In 1940 German forces simply went around it through Belgium.
The strongest strategy in the world can still fail if it’s designed to solve yesterday’s problem.
The Beatles? Hard pass.
In 1962 Decca Records rejected The Beatles after an audition, explaining that guitar bands were on the way out.
Within a year Beatlemania had begun.
When leaders rely too heavily on past patterns, they can miss the moment something entirely new is emerging. Sometimes the next breakthrough simply doesn’t look like previous success.
How leaders can avoid moments like these
Great leadership isn’t about always getting it right or having all the answers.
The pace of change in today’s world makes that impossible.
Instead, effective leaders create environments where assumptions are challenged, different perspectives are welcomed and ideas can be tested quickly before they become expensive mistakes.
In other words, leadership today isn’t just about knowledge or experience.
It’s about behaviour – how leaders think, decide and learn together.
That’s exactly what leadership development should focus on.
At Ivy House, we help organisations develop human, agile, future-fit leaders who can navigate uncertainty and unlock the potential of the people around them.