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Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you're on a dead…

“Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you're on a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. Of course, there are other strategies. You can change riders. You can get a committee to study the dead horse. You can benchmark how other companies ride dead horses. You can declare that it's cheaper to…” quote by Gary Hamel
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“Dakota tribal wisdom says that when you're on a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. Of course, there are other strategies. You can change riders. You can get a committee to study the dead horse. You can benchmark how other companies ride dead horses. You can declare that it's cheaper to feed a dead horse. You can harness several dead horses together. But after you've tried all these things, you're still going to have to dismount.”

Gary Hamel

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When a project is hopeless, many tactics are tried, but ultimately you must abandon it.

In simple terms: Give up on futile efforts.

Key Takeaway

Recognize when to quit.

Themes

strategy decisionmaking leadership

Mood

pragmatic reflective

Type

advice business

When to use this quote

  • product development
  • corporate restructuring
  • project evaluation
  • resource allocation

Key Concepts

Opportunity cost organizational inertia risk management

Questions to Reflect On

  • When is a project truly dead?
  • How can you identify dead ends early?
A Different Perspective

Continuing wastes resources and morale.

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