What if your greatest strength today becomes the very thing that destroys you tomorrow? In this episode, I take you inside the dramatic collapse of Bethlehem Steel, once America's industrial backbone that built the Empire State Building and over 1,100 warships in World War II.

We explore three brutal leadership lessons from their downfall that you need to implement today. Bethlehem didn't die from weakness—they died from inflexibility, protecting sunk costs instead of future fitness.

The hard truth? Standing still in a moving world means falling behind. As leaders, we must ask: what part of our model feels sacred that isn't? Listen to the full episode for some clues and order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for the full blueprint.

In this episode:

- The history of Bethlehem Steel

- The beginning of the downfall

- Leadership lessons from Bethlehem Steel's collapse

- Why embracing change is critical for survival

Resources Used in the Episode:

Kahneman, D., & Tversky, A. (1979). Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk. Econometrica: https://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Behavioral_Decision_Theory/Kahneman_Tversky_1979_Prospect_theory.pdf

Arkes, H. R., & Blumer, C. (1985). The Psychology of Sunk Cost. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4812596_The_psychology_of_sunk_cost

Zeng, Y., Chen, Z., & Luan, S. (2022). The Evolutionary Roots of Overconfidence. Evolution and Human Behavior

Tushman, M. L., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1996). Ambidextrous Organizations: Managing Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change. California Management Review: https://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Organizational_Learning_and_Change/Tushman_&_OReilly_1996_Ambidextrous_Organizations.pdf

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences

What happens when a company gets so powerful, starts behaving like a country, and then forgets it was ever a business? Well, today we dive into the story of the British East India Company, a cautionary tale for modern leaders navigating unchecked growth, internal drift, and the dangers of forgetting your mission.

I’ll walk you through the rise and spectacular collapse of what was once the most powerful corporation on earth. You'll hear how coalitions of resistance form long before they’re noticed, why absolute power isn’t just unstable, and how mission drift silently erodes even the strongest empires.

If you're leading a growing business or navigating leadership at scale, this episode will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your strategic awareness. For a deeper dive, order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for the full roadmap to evolutionary leadership.

In this episode:

- The rise of the British East India Company

- The seeds of collapse: Resistance and rebellion

- Evolutionary leadership lessons from the collapse

- Modern leadership implications and final thoughts

Resources Used in the Episode:

Smith, A. (1776). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. https://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html

Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (1992). The Psychological Foundations of Culture. In The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/243708265_The_Psychological_Foundations_of_Culture

Cartwright, M. (2022). The Rise and Fall of the British East India Company. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2096/fall-of-the-east-india-company/

Van Vugt, M., & Ronay, R. (2014). The Evolutionary Psychology of Leadership. Organizational Psychology Review. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274471020_The_evolutionary_psychology_of_leadership_Theory_review_and_roadmap

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences

Have you ever wondered how a global powerhouse like BlackBerry, once dominating half the U.S. smartphone market, could collapse so dramatically? This week’s episode dives into the leadership blind spots that turn success into vulnerability.

I’ll walk you through the rise and fall of BlackBerry, unpacking evolutionary leadership lessons that you can apply in your business. From assigning challenger roles on your team to separating vision from ego and embedding exploration alongside exploitation, you’ll learn how to protect your leadership against extinction.

So, if you want to avoid becoming the next cautionary tale, this episode is a must-listen. And for a deeper dive, order my book, The Mammoth in the Room, for evolutionary truths that drive modern leadership decisions.

In this episode:

00:00 The rise and fall of BlackBerry

02:55 Blackberry's groupthink and identity protection bias

04:24 Evolutionary leadership lessons from Blackberry's fall

06:33 Final thoughts on why BlackBerry failed

Resources Used in the Episode:

Janis, I. L. (1972). Victims of Groupthink: A Psychological Study of Foreign-Policy Decisions and Fiascoes. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273109291_Irving_L_Janis'_Victims_of_Groupthink

Trivers, R. (2011). The Folly of Fools: The Logic of Deceit and Self-Deception in Human Life. https://a.co/d/h1MCBPO

Zeng, Y., Chen, Z., & Luan, S. (2022). The Evolutionary Roots of Overconfidence. Evolution and Human Behavior.

Tushman, M. L., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1996). Ambidextrous Organizations: Managing Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change. California Management Review. https://web.mit.edu/curhan/www/docs/Articles/15341_Readings/Organizational_Learning_and_Change/Tushman_&_OReilly_1996_Ambidextrous_Organizations.pdf

Get in Touch:

Website: https://www.mammothleadershipsciences.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaspokorny

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MammothLeadershipSciences