Beware of the HiPPO in the room. When a HiPPO (highest paid person’s opinion) is in play, your organisation is most likely not relying on data to inform decision-making. The HiPPO effect can be dangerous: a study by Balazs Szatmari, former PhD candidate at RSM, found that projects led by senior leaders failed more often while projects led by junior managers were more likely to be successful.