What do the Hindenburg, the Titanic, Boeing, and the Challenger disaster have in common?

According to historian and author Edward Tenner, they were not failures of incompetence. They were failures born from success, confidence, and blind spots.

In this episode of Inside CVC, Tenner explains why highly capable organizations still make catastrophic mistakes. From the smoking lounge on the Hindenburg to safety measures that destabilized the SS Eastland, which capsized in 1915 while docked in the Chicago River, we explore how innovations designed to reduce risk often create new vulnerabilities.

We discuss:

• Why disasters often strike respected, well-managed institutions
• How shared assumptions normalize risky decisions
• The illusion of safety and how protections can backfire
• Why reputational risk and public outrage should be top board concerns
• What today’s leaders can learn from long-term “deep organizations”

Tenner argues that resilience is less about speed and more about depth. Organizations that protect R&D, maintain reserves of expertise, and adopt a 20 to 25 year time horizon are better positioned to navigate uncertainty.

For boards facing AI acceleration, automation, and geopolitical volatility, this conversation is a reminder: the most dangerous risks are often the unintended ones already forming beneath the surface.

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