Advisory from Coach Michael Sgro

Across every sector of American life—workplaces, schools, families, and civic institutions—I am seeing the same underlying problem repeat itself with damaging consistency: flawed and biased cognition.

This is not a political issue. It is not a cultural trend. It is a human performance issue—and it has become the number one threat to sound decision-making in America.

Flawed cognition shows up as unchecked assumptions, emotional reasoning replacing critical thinking, confirmation bias driving conclusions, and groupthink overriding truth. When left unaddressed, it leads to poor leadership, fractured communities, toxic workplaces, ineffective policies, and escalating conflict. We are no longer just disagreeing—we are misperceiving reality itself.

The cost is enormous:

• Employers lose productivity, innovation, and trust.

• Communities lose cohesion, empathy, and shared purpose.

• Individuals lose the ability to think clearly under pressure and engage constructively with those who differ from them.

This problem will not resolve itself. Awareness alone is not enough.

I am calling on communities, employers, educators, and leaders to take immediate, intentional action:

• Invest in cognitive skill development, including critical thinking, bias awareness, emotional regulation, and decision-making under stress.

• Create environments where questioning assumptions is encouraged, not punished.

• Train leaders and teams to recognize cognitive distortions before they turn into conflict, misconduct, or catastrophic decisions.

• Treat cognitive fitness with the same seriousness as physical safety and technical competence.

Strong societies are built on clear thinking. Strong organizations are led by people who can separate facts from feelings and challenge their own blind spots.

If we want better outcomes, better leadership, and healthier communities, we must address the root issue—not just the symptoms.

The time to act is now.

— Coach Michael Sgro