All leaders struggle with pride and ego at some point in their careers. It is human nature to want recognition, praise, and dominance in one's field of work. However, true leadership requires humility, openness to feedback, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
Today we will explore how embracing challenges and failures can be the key to avoiding the hubris leadership downfall.
Defining and Understanding Hubris
Before exploring ways to combat hubris, it is important to first define the term. Hubris comes from Greek mythology, referring to extreme pride or arrogance that often results in a hero's downfall (Neihoff & Boerner, 2011). In leadership contexts, hubris arises when a leader's ego and sense of entitlement grows disproportionate to their actual abilities or accomplishments (Hayward & Hambrick, 1997). Symptoms of leadership hubris include an inflated sense of power, resistance to feedback or advice, disregard for rules and norms, and unwillingness to accept responsibility for failure (Sharot, 2017).
Research has linked hubris to a variety of negative organizational outcomes. Hubristic leaders are less adaptive to change and more prone to strategic missteps that damage company performance (Chatterjee & Hambrick, 2007). They also struggle to build cohesive, productive teams due to their tendency to micromanage and seek undue praise (Murphy, 2013). This self-serving leadership style often creates toxic cultures characterized by fear, lack of innovation, and high turnover (Maccoby, 2004). Ultimately, hubris prevents growth by convincing leaders they have nothing more to learn.
Facing Failure with Grace
To avoid the corruption of pride, leaders must view challenges and setbacks not as threats to their image but as opportunities for growth. Research suggests the wisest leaders are not those who are perfect or always succeed, but rather those who face failure with courage, humility and self-awareness (Brown, 2015). Embracing imperfections as an inevitable part of the human experience counters hubris by reminding leaders of their fallibility.
A prime example is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Despite dominating e-commerce and achieving immense success, Bezos reinforces in his leadership principles that "you can work on hardly anything that is more important than mistakes" (Popescu, 2021). He emphasizes experiments that may fail over meticulous planning aimed solely at guaranteed wins. This attitude has allowed Amazon to take risks that drive innovation, even at the cost of stumbles along the way. Conversely, Steve Jobs' perfectionism and disdain for flaws likely contributed to his hubristic leadership style and micromanagement of employees (Isaacson, 2011). Learning from failure of experiments, rather than denying them, cultivates a psychologically safer environment where people feel empowered to take risks.
Seeking Diverse Feedback
While failure exposure is important, hubris also stems from insularity and believing one's own perspective is infallible. Leaders must make a conscious effort to incorporate varied viewpoints into their decision-making, even from those in less powerful positions. Research on cognitive diversity underscores that groups with different life experiences and backgrounds make less rash, informed choices (Phillips, 2014). However, hubristic leaders typically surround themselves with sycophants who reinforce rather than challenge preexisting views (Wade et al, 2006).
An exemplar of inviting dissenting opinions is Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. In his early years leading the company, Schultz brought homeless people into board meetings to gain their unfiltered feedback on store experiences (Robinson, 2020). This unconventional approach countered assumptions and helped Starbucks better serve low-income customers. Schultz also created an "ideagora" forum where any partner could propose initiatives, acknowledging he did not have a monopoly on good ideas (Fernandez-Araoz et al, 2017). Encouraging open dialogue shields leaders from narrow, self-serving perspectives that breed hubris over time. Diversity enhances problem-solving, while humility accepts no single leader understands issues perfectly on their own.
Taking Responsibility without Defensiveness
Perhaps the surest sign of hubris is an inability to accept responsibility for mistakes or recognize one's contribution to problems. Wise leaders understand accountability as a vehicle for growth rather than threat to their image (O'Toole & Bennis, 2009). They acknowledge imperfections transparently and reframe errors not as personal weaknesses but normal aspects of risk-taking essential to progress.
An exemplar here is Starbucks former CEO and current executive chairman Howard Schultz. When Schultz retook the CEO reins in 2008 after a brief retirement, he found the company he built veering off course (Fernandez-Araoz, 2017). Rather than defensive finger-pointing, Schultz took full ownership for shortfalls under previous leadership and the role his departing ideals may have played (Grow, 2017). Similarly, in 2009 Whole Foods CEO John Mackey published a letter transparently taking blame for mistakes amid the economic downturn (Thurm, 2009). His humility reassured stakeholders while motivating self-improvement. In contrast, leaders like Travis Kalanick of Uber struggled with accountability, blaming external forces for cultural issues their hubris likely contributed to (Isaac, 2017). Transparent self-criticism is tougher for the prideful but essential to maintaining credibility and trust over the long-term.
Ongoing Learning and Development
While facing flaws and dissent can puncture inflated egos, leaders must also actively cultivate learning if they wish to avoid future hubris. Research shows the prideful tend to feel they have nothing left to learn, stunting their long-term development (Anderson & Kilduff, 2009). In contrast, the most impactful leaders maintain a "beginner's mind," recognizing no matter how far they've come there is always more to understand (Brown, 2015). They view each day as an opportunity to strengthen skills and expand perspectives.
An exemplar of lifelong learning is former Medtronic CEO Bill George. George never stopped sharpening his leadership abilities, even after immense success turning around the medical device firm (George, 2007). He constantly sought critical feedback, put himself in growth situations like earning an advanced degree mid-career, and mentored up-and-coming leaders to stay tapped into new perspectives (George, 2020). Similarly, Starbucks founder and former CEO Howard Schultz filled notebooks with customer input on every store visit and enrolled in classes to better understand emerging consumer trends (Fernandez-Araoz, 2017). Continuous self-improvement prevents stagnation and hubris from settling in over time. It also fosters vital skills like empathy that come from walking in others' shoes.
Conclusion
Pride and hubris are natural human tendencies but corrode leadership effectiveness if left unchecked. The research and cases explored here provide clear strategies for how executives can protect themselves from exaggerated ego through courage in facing failures, openness to criticism, transparency about mistakes, and commitment to lifelong development. Viewing challenges as learning catalysts versus threats to image is key. While it requires vulnerability, this kind of humility cultivates the wisdom and relationships essential for sustainable organizational success over the long haul. Most importantly, leaders must remember none of us will get everything right. What matters most is facing flaws with grace, determination to strengthen based on feedback, and empathy for the shared human experiences we all go through.
References
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Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
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