Unrealistic expectations and hype cycles have wreaked havoc on American businesses in the recent past. Passing through an Era of Extremes, many leaders got caught up in the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and in the “opportunities” that overzealous promotion promised. Yet all these excessively optimistic assessments have had to pass the hardnosed test of reality, and bankruptcies and liquidations have jumped.
We have observed several causes of leaders’ yielding to the siren song of big returns with minimal effort: Lack of Time, Old Mindset in a New World, Distrust and Credulity, Overconfidence Bias and Chasing Growth. As Americans move into the age of Settling Down, creating elevated expectations and getting the vulnerable to fall for the next hype cycle will become harder and harder.