Successful management teams in turbulent industries develop certain practices to cope with this anxiety. For instance, some managers develop the confidence to act decisively in the face of considerable ambiguity by seeking the advice of one or more "expert counselors. Naturally, too much confidence can become dangerous as well, as the Everest case clearly demonstrates. To combat overconfidence, leaders must seek out information that disconfirms their existing views, and they should discourage subordinates from hiding bad news. Managers also must take great care to separate facts from assumptions, and they must encourage everyone to test critical assumptions vigorously to root out overly optimistic projections.
The Everest case also demonstrates how individuals will interact with one another and with their leaders in critical situation. It can shape the perception and beliefs of organization members. Hall and Fischer made a number of minor choices about how the teams would be structured that had an enormous impact on people's perceptions of their roles, status, and relationships with other climbers. Ultimately, these perceptions and beliefs constrained the way that people behaved when the groups encountered serious obstacles and dangers. The perception and beliefs of others can be shaped, by the leader in many ways. In some cases, the words or actions of a leader can send clear signals as to how they expect their subordinates to behave. For instance, Hall did not wish to hear any dissenting views while the expedition made the final push toward the summit. Most leaders understand the power of these very direct commands or directives. However, this also demonstrates that leaders shape the perceptions and beliefs of others through subtle signals, actions, and symbols. For example, the compensation differential among the guides shaped people's beliefs about their relative status in the expedition.