When you believe your own PR . . . Leaders must be able to spot the signs that they are becoming far too egotistical. (2014)

“The key for executives is to start thinking about their vulnerability to hubris before it sets in, giving them time to understand what scenarios could increase that vulnerability and what warning signs there might be.

Carly Chynoweth
The Sunday Times (online) Published: 19 October 2014

“Narcissism is like salt in soup: a pinch or two improves matters but add too much and the whole thing is ruined. Unfortunately for leaders, recognising the point at which their self-confidence swells into hubris — the belief that rules designed for mere mortals no longer apply to them — is more difficult than following a recipe. And when it happens, it has huge destructive potential for them and their organisations.

“It means that managers focus completely on themselves, while most of the time they are facing problems that cannot be solved by one individual,” said Bernd Vogel, director of the Centre for Engaging Leadership at Henley Business School. “This creates real performance issues, short and long term.”

“Hubristic leaders believe that they always know best and there is no need to listen to other people’s ideas. This can lead to enormous errors of judgment, including the pursuit of ridiculously overoptimistic strategies and the rejection of innovation. “It also damages relationships, making it less likely that colleagues will speak up to share concerns,” said Vogel.

“It makes sense, then, for hubristic leaders to find a way to break free of this behaviour, but this is almost impossible, said Christoph Loch, director of Cambridge Judge Business School. “Once you have been really caught by hubris, it is too late,” he said. “By then you truly feel that you are different from everyone else and that the normal rules do not apply; you take yourself for God.”

“The key is for executives to start thinking about their vulnerability to hubris before it sets in, giving them time to understand what scenarios could increase that vulnerability and what warning signs there might be. Loch said: “You could ask yourself something like, when was the last time I changed my mind because of something someone else showed me, [or] because I was wrong?”

Read the full article here: When you believe your own PR