The old idiom states that “when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”
While the principle appears straightforward, many professionals remain entangled in ineffective strategies or outdated initiatives.
What many people do
❌Use a stronger whip
❌Change the rider
❌Analyze the horse
❌Harness several more dead horses to increase efficiency
❌Refuse to talk about the elephant in the room
Why people do that
💸 Too much time, money, and effort have been poured in to quit now.
😔 Admitting defeat feels like a personal loss.
🔄 Belief that continued effort will eventually lead to progress.
📉 Recession pressure.
What you can do instead
✔️Use the Fulcrum Point™ Method to understand what you are trying to solve and why.
✔️Be honest about which actions are truly working and which aren’t.
✔️Build a culture in which it is safe to point out inefficiencies and share new ideas.
Explore clear, actionable approaches to cut through the noise and realign for success.
Downloads
Supplemental Resources
Dead Horse Theory.pdf
Dead Horse Theory: "When you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount."