The Hidden Biases Blocking Your Progress (and How to Beat Them)

In nature, inertia is a force to be reckoned with—it’s the tendency of objects to resist changes in motion, whether at rest or moving forward. This idea, known as Newton's First Law , shapes how everything in the universe behaves. But inertia isn’t just physical; we see it in human behavior too.

I call it “human inertia”—our instinct to stick with what’s familiar.

Whether it’s a sales team nudging clients away from outdated systems, political leaders trying to win over skeptics, or coaches reshaping a team culture, overcoming that pull toward the status quo is one of the toughest challenges leaders face.

And in our more modern context, the inherent complexity associated around adoption of new breakthrough technology such as AI systems.

A big part of breaking through this “human inertia,” lies in understanding cognitive biases—the mental shortcuts that shape our perception of the world.

Here’s a look at five common biases and how to use these insights to create momentum for change.

1. Confirmation Bias: Hearing Only What We Already Believe

When people focus only on information that reinforces their beliefs, they’re stuck in a loop of confirmation bias. Think of a team member who says, “We’ve tried this before, and it didn’t work.” They’re likely tuning out new information, filtering everything through their past experiences. It’s human nature—back in 1979, psychologists Charles Lord, Lee Ross, and Mark Lepper demonstrated this with a study where participants rated studies around capital punishment , that aligned with their views as more credible, even when shown contrary evidence.

So, how do we cut through? Invite open discussion. Ask something like, “What didn’t work last time?” This approach validates their concerns while opening the door to show how the new approach addresses those issues.

Streaming companies like Netflix have taken this bias head-on with free trials. For people skeptical about spending money on a streaming service, a trial period lets them confirm its value for themselves. Once they try it, they’re more likely to believe it’s worth the price.

2. Anchoring Bias: The Staying Power of First Impressions

Anchoring bias is all about first impressions, and those first details can define how people perceive the entire change. Imagine you’re launching a new initiative, and the first thing your team hears is the time commitment required or the upfront costs. They’re likely to fixate on those negatives. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky illustrated this powerfully in an experiment where participants saw a random “wheel of fortune” spin to either 10 or 65 before estimating a percentage. Those who saw 65 guessed higher, proving how much initial numbers influence our perceptions.

To use anchoring to your advantage, start by highlighting the high-impact benefits of the change. Focus on how this new initiative will drive growth, make work easier, or open up new opportunities.

Apple has perfected this with its product launches—they reveal the high-priced models, like the iPhone Pro Max, first. By the time the lower-priced options come out, they seem like incredible deals by comparison, setting a positive anchor for consumers.

3. Halo Effect: When One Remarkable Positive Trait Colors Everything

The halo effect is when one positive aspect of something makes everything else about it seem better. If a new tool has a sleek, user-friendly interface, this single standout trait can cast a positive light on the entire tool. Psychologist Edward Thorndike first observed this in 1920 when he noticed that military officers rated soldiers highly across multiple traits if they excelled in one area, like physical fitness, even if there was no actual correlation. It is the same reason why attractive people are deemed to be smarter, funnier and more likeable than unattractive people.

To create a halo effect, lead with the feature that resonates most with your team. If you’re introducing a new tool, highlight that intuitive interface first. This makes people more receptive to exploring other features.

Amazon Prime is a classic example of this: people sign up for the two-day shipping, but that single benefit influences how they see everything else in the package, from streaming to music—making the entire suite feel more valuable.

4. Negativity Bias: Focusing on the Bad, Forgetting the Good.

Negativity bias makes us focus more on negative experiences than positive ones—it’s why even small setbacks can overshadow an entire project’s progress. Psychologist Roy Baumeister showed just how powerful this is in a 2001 study, where he found that negative experiences leave a stronger impression on us than positive ones. Evolutionarily, this makes sense; avoiding harm was essential to survival. But today, it often holds us back.

To combat this bias, tackle setbacks head-on. When something goes wrong, address it directly, explain what’s being done to fix it, and keep the focus on solutions.

Food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash often offer discounts or free delivery when there’s an issue, redirecting customers’ focus from the negative experience to the positive outcome of saving money on their next order. It’s a simple way of shifting perspective, from problem to progress.

5. Sunk Cost Fallacy: Sticking with What’s Familiar

The sunk cost fallacy is why people hold onto old habits, processes, or investments—even if better options are available—because they’ve already put time or money into them. In 1985, Hal Arkes and Catherine Blumer explored this by showing that people were unwilling to abandon a pre-paid Michigan ski trip even when they found a better option in Wisconsin. That initial investment kept them committed to the first choice. It is also suggested as the reason why most people stay longer than they should in unhappy relationships.

When your team is attached to a familiar process, validate the time and effort they’ve invested before presenting a new approach. Recognizing their work makes it easier to shift their focus to the benefits of moving forward.

Many gyms leverage this by offering long-term memberships, encouraging people to keep going simply because they’ve already paid for it. Similarly, acknowledging a team’s past efforts gives you a foundation to present change as a natural progression, not a replacement.

Conclusion

Addressing cognitive biases doesn’t just make you a better leader—it’s a game-changer for managing change. By crafting your messaging to account for these natural tendencies, you can build trust, inspire adaptability, and set the stage for sustainable success.

The five cognitive biases will also play a big role in the ethics around how AI systems are designed and experienced – by considering the data that AI feeds on, shaping the logic on how the models are built and finally determining the quality of results from how users interact with them, impacting fairness, transparency, and accuracy.