'How John F Kennedy Failed in April 17, 1961 at the Bay of Pigs' Leadership and Groupthink: Implication for Group-Oriented Decision Making Systems

Background?

Sometimes around 1960, Fidel Castro arm-twisted a struggle that downturned the elected government of Cuba. It saw Castro emerging as a self-imposed dictator. Dwight Eisenhower, the American President of the time was not happy with the development. Mostly because Castro leaned toward communism. Having Castrol continue holding sway on the government seat of Cuba-an important geography to America- could incentivize the spread of communism across the globe; the American president had thought.??Dwight Eisenhower nursed a desire to oust the government of Fidel Castro, and purge Cuba of communism. Unfortunately, Dwight Eisenhower was not able to carry out his wish against Castro's government.?

The next president came. John F Kennedy came. A group of CIA experts privy to the plan briefed him. He gave his support. Kennedy organized a group he described as brilliant advisors to devise a strategy that will see the end of Fidel Castro's government in Cuba. Their idea was what later came to be known as the Bay of Pig's Invasion.?The idea was to organize some 1400 Cubans exiled in America by Fidel Castro's Communist government to spark tensions that would overthrow Castro.?

Geographers call the Gulf area of the southern coast of Cuba the Bay of Pigs. So the grand plan according to Kennedy's powerful think tanks was to train and arm the 1,400 Cubans. They would then invade Cuba from the Bay of Pigs. Everything seemed right. They acted as planned, on April 17, 1961. But they met a strong resistance force of Cuba, Commandeered by Fidel Castrol himself. Castro's resistance army was numbering about 20,000 strong soldiers. The 1400 invasion army chickened out. They waited for the promised Naval and military air support. Supports never came. Kennedy might have realized the foolishness of the invasion at the eleventh hour. Thus, the 1400 exile soldiers were left to their fates. Then, they attempted to withdraw. Guess what? It was too late. Castro captured and imprisoned about 1200. While the Cuban forces put the rest to death in a single day.

The action which was a clear failure of John F Kennedy further deified Fidel Castro globally. Castrol earned more honor as a communist god. On the flip side, the event of the Bay of Pigs invasion is the height of foreign policy blunders and embarrassment in American history. After the crying shame of a foreign mission orchestrated by John F Kennedy, he questioned why. Kennedy questioned why his group experts-including himself-could take such a decision. A decision that would later embarrass America, history-wide.

On the heels of the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a Yale professor and researcher, Irving Janis, developed a theory. The theory was a product of years of research after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Janis named it the Groupthink theory. Janis, a Yale Psychology professor proffered a fitting explanation for Kennedy's failure in Cuba. He explained in the light of the Groupthink theory.

Groupthink theory is, a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which desire for harmony, group cohesion, or group-conformity result in an irrational decision-making outcome.' In a group, a psychological phenomenon tends to group members to make decisions out of regard for a continuation of friendship and harmony at the expense of sincerity to the object of reality.?

How to Solve Groupthink Problem in Group-Oriented Decision Making Systems

You can reason it along the path of sycophancy: group members would always want to tell a leader what he or she wishes to hear, so to remain in harmony. They won't say the objective truth when it is bitter. For example, in the case of Kennedy, some of his expert advisors would have the foresight of the failure. But they failed to tell him the truth. They chose to massage his ego by telling him what motivated his ego.

As a leader in any capacity, in any capacity, you listen to your advisors at your peril. Especially in a group advisement system where you belong. Your best plugs for advice are independent research and data, SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS, and data-driven decision-making strategy.

This is why I like and respect IBB, he would give his advisors the benefit of listening. But he wouldn't take their advice if it goes against his inner advice framework.

This is why a leader must have the basic know-how of issues. Thus, he would know how to best source for or manufacture productive pieces of advice. If you are not careful as a leader, you will be misled and be responsible for the resultant failures.

Groupthink Example in Corporate Governance

Examples of corporate and corporate governance failures on account of groupthink abound. Enron Scandal is a good corporate example. Enron was hailing as a firm. For Enron, informing the owners(shareholders) of the true state of the firm's account would have been better and safer. To help them decide whether to stay or quit as investors. Instead, the Enron management group elected to smoothen the income. They advised performing some stealth accounting engineering to create a false image of financial well-being. The chief manager did not bother to cross-check the quality of such advice. The advice was taken, hook and sinkers, since it was coming from a perceived group of experts managers. In the end, Enron crashed! Enron became a global scandal.

Leadership in humanity exists in various forms. You must a leader at one point or the other.?A leader may be a family head, a wife, an entrepreneur, a social head, and a church head.?Leadership is vast. Almost all have an opportunity at leadership. Whenever you are to have your group members have their say so that you will make a decision, please remember the failures of JF Kennedy, Enron Inc, and the Groupthink theory.?

Gbenga Akinyemi