last updated: March 2026
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy but cursed so that no one would believe her warnings.
The story has endured for centuries because the underlying dynamic still feels familiar. Ideas are not always judged purely on their content. The credibility of a message is often influenced by who delivers it, how it is framed, and whether it fits existing expectations.
In organisations this can lead to curious situations. An idea may be questioned when it is first raised, only to gain traction later when the same reasoning appears from a different source. The substance has not changed, but the reception has.
The Cassandra Project is a small collection of reflections on these kinds of moments. Each article explores a different cognitive bias or decision-making dynamic that quietly shapes how information is interpreted and how decisions are made.
The goal is not to offer definitive answers, but simply to make some of these patterns a little easier to recognise.
Maybe It’s Not Imposter Syndrome,…Maybe It’s Just Leadership
Why people often underestimate themselves while confidence dominates the room.
The Dunning–Kruger Problem in Meetings
Why confidence often wins over competence in group discussions.
The Messenger Effect in Organisations
Why the same idea can be rejected internally and accepted when delivered by an external voice. The Reversed Not Invented Here Syndrome
What Bushido Taught Me About Vulnerability in Leadership
Coming soon
When Expertise Creates a Halo… Assumptions Follow!
The Question(able) Tactic
Where this project is going
The Cassandra Project will continue to grow as new essays explore additional biases and decision-making dynamics that appear in everyday organisational life.
The goal is not to catalogue every bias, but to better recognise the moments where perception, certainty, and reality quietly diverge.