Arrogance – A few whys and whats

Don’t we come across people with arrogance in our corporate life?

Arrogance could emerge generally from being in a position of high authority.  The ‘arrogant few’ gain in strength due to the silent majority around them or simply because of the subservient approach of others around them. It is not uncommon to come across such people, right? While humbleness and achievements can still travel together, there is a misconception amongst many that an ambitious manager or a leader has to be arrogant. This is far from the truth. My own assessment based on my experiences and observations so far makes me believe that arrogance results from a combination of some of the following:

• Academic qualification: Especially when one comes from a top-notch institution while others around are from lesser ones.
• Seniority: They seldom realize that seniority, in most cases, happens due to the passage of time.
• Insecurity: Arrogance emerges from a sense of insecurity. If others around are sharper and smarter, arrogance becomes a tool to feel secure and insulate oneself from being questioned!
• Misplaced pride: Arrogance can be the result of past glory. Such people have a very poor and inefficient present and a bleak future. Hence, they live in the past to exhibit that as their identity.
• Pseudo intelligence: Many suffer from this disease. They act as a know-it-all, assume that they have the best recipe for every solution and that all others around them are nothing more than duds.
• Inside information: Arrogance can emerge due to possession of some key confidential information. It can  relate to anything and the person knows the importance and hence throws the weight around every time and everywhere.
• Acceptance by others: If the arrogance is not questioned, criticized, discouraged by others, it further fuels the same. The person starts believing that this style of functioning is most effective and impactful.

To sum up, arrogant management style is passé. When one hangs the boot finally one day, every leader in any position in any field should feel good that he/she was respected and loved and not feared. A well respected and admired leader can achieve a lot collectively, much more than what a self-centered, complex and  arrogant pseudo leader can achieve. The key question is how one can deal with such an arrogant leader? The simple answer is that if you or the culture of the organization cannot change the person before it is too late, you need to keep the required social distance and try to find opportunities elsewhere, change your leader thereby. The other poor option is, lose your self-respect and end up becoming a slave for your survival. Choice is yours.

Lessons are all around us.