Prisoners of Their Premises

"Why do leaders sometimes get it so wrong when making major policy decisions despite all the resources in terms of expertise and experience they can call on? We debate debacles such as the American involvement in Vietnam, seeking to understand why leaders pursued disastrous policies. In Prisoners of their Premises George Edwards argues that the failure of leaders to examine their premises, the assumptions they make about the world and situation they are dealing with, cause them to ignore real problems or pursue policies that, in costly ways, deal with problems that are different than they think or simply don't exist. Edwards looks at the role of premises in identifying (or ignoring) a problem in a series of case studies that range from strategic decisions in World War I to our own Iraq War. Too often unexamined premises color initial decisions to pursue a policy and shape the strategies a leader employs to achieve their goals with grave consequences for their countries, organizations, and potentially the world. Edwards demonstrates the real costs leaders incur by failing to question their premises"--