Dead Horse Theory

Ever stayed in a job that drained you?

Held onto a strategy that used to work?

Poured time, money, and energy into something… hoping it would magically turn around?

That’s the Dead Horse Theory in action. 🐴

“When you realize you’re riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”

But here’s what actually happens in teams and companies:

🚩 “Let’s try a different rider.”
🚩 “Maybe if we whip it harder.”
🚩 “Let’s rebrand the horse.”
🚩 “Let’s compare with other dead horses.”
🚩 “Let’s form a task force to study why it’s not moving.”

We laugh—but many of us do this in real life:

– Holding onto toxic clients because of sunk costs
– Sticking with outdated tools because “we’ve always done it this way”
– Refusing to pivot a project, even if the data screams otherwise

It’s not a leadership problem. It’s a human one.

We confuse letting go with giving up.
We fear being seen as wrong, so we hold on longer.
But strong leadership isn’t about never being wrong.

It’s about recognizing what’s no longer serving the mission—and making the call to move on.

✅ Not everything that starts well ends well.
✅ Not everything worth building is worth keeping.
✅ And not every horse is meant to be revived.

Real leaders know when to ride. And when to walk away.

Is there a dead horse you’re still riding?