> Their mental maps of how battles should unfold were so ingrained that they couldn't recognize when the territory had changed.

This feels like the core aspect of most bad leadership I've experienced.

Organizations can turn on a dime, even very large ones, if leadership allows themselves to recognize and adapt to the new terrain.

The central challenge with this is that the adaptation process is painful, often requiring a 1v1 contest to the death with one's own ego.