Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating

Why this matters here

Barry M. Staw’s 1976 study “Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy” experimentally demonstrated escalating commitment to a chosen course of action, especially when personal responsibility for the initial decision was high. When Others Look to You extends that escalation pattern into success’s trap: visible wins can make dissent feel optional and push conflicting signals later, softer, or underground. Staw establishes escalation of commitment; the book asks how the same run of success that proves capability can narrow the feedback channels needed to sustain it.