Dr. No #58 – 7 Cognitive Biases That Are Quietly Mugging You

Hey lawyer,

You think you’re rational. Careful. Precise.
That’s the lie your brain tells you while it picks your pocket.

Cognitive biases are mental shortcuts that once saved cavemen from lions… but now just make senior lawyers screw up deals, strategy, and careers.

Here are 7 that every GC should tattoo on their desk (not literally, unless your board likes that sort of thing).

1. Food for Thought

Which of your current “strategic priorities” is really just a story your brain invented to justify yesterday’s decision?

2. Seven Biases for GCs (And How to Fight Them)

Spotlight Effect
You think everyone noticed your typo. They didn’t. They don’t care.
Antidote: Ask: “Will this matter in 5 days?” Usually no.

Sunk Cost Fallacy
You’ve spent months on a vendor. You keep going because of the time already wasted.
Antidote: Ignore the past. Decide based on future value only.

Confirmation Bias
You only read memos that agree with you. The others? “Clearly flawed.”
Antidote: Appoint a devil’s advocate in every major decision.

Gambler’s Fallacy
“We’ve won the last 3 arbitrations, so we’re due a loss.” No. Dice don’t keep score.
Antidote: Treat each case as independent. Probability doesn’t have memory.

Self-Serving Bias
Wins? Yours. Losses? External counsel. Other internal teams.
Antidote: Own both. People trust leaders who share blame.

Anchoring Effect
First number mentioned in negotiations becomes the anchor.
Antidote: Drop your anchor first. Or refuse theirs politely and reset.

Survivorship Bias
You read about the blue chip that invested succesfully in that country. You didn’t read about the 999 that got fined into dust.
Antidote: Look for failures, not just survivors.

3. Mental Model – The Red Team (Shane Parrish, Farnam Street)

Borrowed from the military. Create a small team whose only job is to prove you wrong.
GC application: before presenting to the board, run your plan through a “Red Team” of sceptics. Better to be shredded in private than embarrassed in public.

4. AI Booster – nFactorial

Learn anything from the world’s best minds with AI tutors. Perfect for lawyers who want to absorb new fields (AI governance, ESG regs, crypto law) without 300 hours of CPD.

5. Quote to Reflect

“We see the world not as it is, but as we are.” – Anaïs Nin

P.S.
Some biases you can fix. Others you can’t. But you can fix how much time your team wastes on bureaucracy.

Ambar provides fractional counsel to handle:

• Notices from the administration

• Requests from government bodies

• Preparing endless documentation

That’s at least 30% of your team’s time back for strategy, leadership, and yes — spotting their own biases.

Book a call with Ambar — and start leading with clarity, not cognitive blind spots.

Talk soon,

Rosa and Manuel

— Dr. No