三和一善 | The arrogant leader continues to rise. This is how to deal with a

Posted by Kazuyoshi Sanwa on November 3rd, 2021

Most of us have worked with (sometimes) people who are not as good as they think-this is the definition of arrogance. There is no shortage of arrogant bosses in the world. This reality can be explained by three main research findings:

Humans generally tend to overestimate their own talents, and the bosses are (still) mainly humans (although we have heard that AI bosses are coming soon). Sometimes called the Wobergen Lake effect, most people overestimate their skills in various fields.

As observers, we can easily mistake confidence for competence, which explains why people who seem confident, overconfident, or even arrogant can be mistaken for particularly talented people and are therefore selected for leadership roles (in the public and private sectors). Organization).

The more confused people are about their own skills and talents, the easier it is for them to fool others into thinking that they are more capable than they actually are.

These findings explain why arrogant bosses are more common than realistic, humble bosses. However, management books and articles have been extolling the ideas of humble leaders.

Is this wishful thinking?

Do not. We want to work for people who feel unreasonable to ourselves, and don’t know their limitations, which is reasonable. When arrogant people are in power, they tend to alienate, alienate, and demean others. Their team lacks psychological security, their performance is affected, and their organization (or country) pays a high price. A lot of research shows that humility is rational and constructive.

However, we have all seen it over and over again: a charismatic, funny, and sometimes pathologically narcissistic person is promoted to a leadership role, only to be exposed as arrogant, self-deceptive, and empowered—to the detriment of others. Too many politicians embody this harmful pattern, but it is also common in the private sector.

Research further shows that arrogance increases the tendency to participate in corruption and anti-social behavior. What do Harvey Weinstein, Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Epstein have in common? Grand delusions inhibit their self-control, restraint, and empathy, while perpetuating their own illusion of immunity to consequences, further contributing to their parasitic behavior. It\'s as if we humans are born to fall into the traps of our own making.

There is a crucial difference between arrogance and self-confidence. You can have full confidence in your abilities. If your confidence is realistic (that is, in line with your actual abilities), we will not label it as \"arrogant\". By the same token, this imbalance defines arrogance when there is a lack of talents, skills, or expertise, but no confidence. In short, talented people, people with deep professional knowledge, or training and practice, or people who are thoughtful about future challenges, can all be regarded as humble. In contrast, when people’s talents are not as good as they thought, they are seen as arrogant, overconfident, or self-deceiving. Compared with people who lack these qualities, humble people are more likely to deal with and help others deal with real challenges more effectively.

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If you happen to work for an arrogant leader, how should you treat them (although arrogance is statistically more common in cisgender men) to minimize harm to you and others? Here are five suggestions:

Avoid challenging their ego. They will take defensive measures and may retaliate. This does not mean that you should cater to them or do your best to exaggerate their self-esteem: just try to be neutral or indifferent to arrogance.

Focus on how to help them. When trying to influence/convince them, focus on the benefits your argument brings to them (\"If we do this, you will outperform other managers...\") instead of trying to come up with a logical or ethical Case (\"This would be better,\" or \"This is the right approach.\")

Try to avoid being fooled by them. Don\'t mistake their charm for substance or their confidence for ability. Be skeptical, so you don\'t think they are as good as they say. This will save you a lot of pain and suffering. Instead, stay awake and clear-headed, and do your best to advance the work within the scope of your role.

If you feel comfortable, become a source of constructive feedback. You can help arrogant bosses understand their mistakes and help them correct their opinions/decisions, although this is not without risk. For example, you can make your boss aware of the potential risks or negative consequences of the proposed action-consequences, such as his/her own boss may be unhappy, customers may leave, or any other impact on your boss’s reputation or career prospects Potential loss. This will turn you into an ally, assuming the role of a messenger, rather than conveying your own views.

Go to work for others. Just know that a truly humble boss is not easy to find.

Finally, there is one more issue that needs attention. Arrogance is self-enclosed. Once promoted (or elected) to a leadership position, leaders (because they have no real fault of their own) have less and less exposure to unreliable data. As Bob Sutton of Stanford University said, bosses live in a paradise for fools. Bad news will not spread upwards, and people will not disagree with their bosses, so from where they sit, the situation looks optimistic. Often, this illusion is pierced by crises, failures, or scandals that seem to be sudden but are not. Warning signs are everywhere.