Resilience & Flight: Lessons from the Cockpit: In this series, I explore how the principles of aviation can help us build resilience. Like pilots facing turbulence, we can learn to stay steady and adapt to whatever comes our way.
Do You Like to Be Right?
The question of knowing when to stop is a critical one in many aspects of life. Whether in work, relationships, or personal projects, the ability to recognize the right moment to change course can make all the difference between success and unnecessary struggle.
When I start a project, I often find myself pushing forward, even when I’m struggling. It’s difficult to admit when I’ve made the wrong decision, and changing course can feel like admitting defeat. But ask yourself: do you like to be right, or do you like to succeed?
This struggle is more common than we might realize. We value persistence, admire those who don’t give up, and often believe that success comes to those who are willing to go the extra mile. However, the real challenge often lies in recognizing the moment when things have gone so far south that persistence becomes counterproductive and no amount of effort will save the sinking ship.
Our admiration for persistence is closely tied to what’s known as the sunk cost fallacy — our tendency to continue investing in something simply because we’ve already invested so much. One of the hardest things to do is to walk away from something you’ve poured your heart and soul into. The more you’ve invested, the tougher it becomes to admit that it might be time to move on.
Sunk cost fallacy makes companies continue with troubled initiatives, which already costed money, rather than invest in a new, more promising project. Sunk cost fallacy keeps people too long in poor jobs, unhappy marriages, and unpromising research projects.
Given this natural tendency, how can we identify the right moment to stop and move in another direction? Interestingly, the world of aviation offers a useful tool.
Decision threshold
Enthusiastic pilots can sometimes cross the line of no return, leading to accidents. In aviation, this critical line during takeoff and landing is called the decision threshold.
The decision threshold is the point at which a pilot makes a final call —either to proceed with takeoff or landing, or to abort. If certain parameters aren’t met by this point, the pilot doesn’t hesitate: they stop the aircraft during takeoff or initiate a go-around during landing.
This approach is both transparent and decisive. By setting evaluation criteria upfront, the pilot’s mind doesn’t waste time searching for ways to continue — they’ve already made the decision based on facts, not feelings.
I find this concept incredibly appealing for any decision-making process in life. Defining a decision threshold before starting an endeavor can help us make less emotional, more fact-based decisions about when to end a venture.
For Reflection
Do you have your own decision thresholds at work or in your personal life?
Does your company set decision thresholds for projects?
Can you recall situations where establishing a decision threshold would have improved your performance, or that of your team or organization?
Closing Thoughts
By picturing and implementing decision thresholds, we can make clearer, more objective decisions. It’s not about giving up; it’s about knowing when to pivot in order to achieve the best possible outcome.
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