Strategic leadership: how to avoid the most common error leaders make. (2013).

“Denial, ego and hubris are all parts of human nature. They are like gravity. We don’t defeat them. To move forward we must actively resist them every day.”

Eric Barker, author
Published in his blog ‘Barking up the wrong tree’,
8 September 2013

“CEOs make mistakes that could and should have been avoided, not just with the benefit of hindsight, but on the basis of information available to them at the time. These mistakes resulted from individuals denying reality,” Barker writes.

“Sometimes denial is vital. For example, knowing the statistics, what business leader would ever be an entrepreneur or attempt to turnaround a seemingly doomed company without a little denial?

“Who would think they could succeed where all others failed without a little hubris?

“But it can go too far. When leaders start to think they have the midas touch, things get ugly in a hurry.

“Some people manage to avoid the trap – these are the ‘Level 5’ leaders who can stop focusing on me me me and measure their self-worth by the health of the company.

“Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company. It’s not that Level 5 leaders have no ego or self-interest. Indeed, they are incredibly ambitious – but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.”

Barker identifies three ways leaders can avoid the hubris trap:

• Don’t believe your own hype
• Figure out when, and how, top get out of the way: “get the best people for the job and let them do it”.
• Build systems and processes that ensure their ways of doing things can be made clear even when they can’t be present.

“Denial, ego and hubris are all parts of human nature. They are like gravity. We don’t defeat them. To move forward we must actively resist them every day.”

Access the original blog by searching here: Strategic leadership: how to avoid the most common error leaders make