Hubris and Narcissism in Management – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 957

Hubris and Narcissism in Management – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 957

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post 957 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to aq.pharmaveterans@gmail.com for publishing your contributions here.

Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko

Credit: Kampus Production

Credit: Kampus Production

Credit: Maria Orlova

Credit: Safa Bakirci

In the realm of management and leadership, the traits of hubris and narcissism are often prevalent to varying degrees and can significantly shape leadership styles and organizational dynamics. It is essential to understand how these traits manifest in leaders, their impact on management practices, and possible ways to mitigate their negative effects.

Hubris

Hubris is an ancient Greek term, literally translating to ‘excess’.  It describes a state of exaggerated self-belief and arrogance.

People suffering from hubris imagine that the way they view the world is the way the world is supposed to be. They grossly overestimate their capabilities and consider themselves virtually limitless. Even when they are failing, they cling to the illusion of their own grandeur and invincibility. Such an attitude can easily lead to irresponsible behavior, a sense of recklessness, and even immoral actions.

Among business leaders, hubris may develop from a history of success and praise, creating a sense of invulnerability and infallibility.

Narcissism

Narcissism, characterized by grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy, can drive leaders to prioritize their own image and success over the well-being of their team and organization. Narcissistic leaders often seek constant validation and are highly sensitive to criticism.

Hubris may often accompany narcissism, but there are significant differences between the two. Narcissism is a personality trait formed early in life while hubris is a change in a person’s character after they have attained significant power. Hubris is therefore more like a temporary condition specific to leadership positions rather than a fundamental personality flow. Narcissistic leaders may still be able to keep in touch with the ground realities.

Prevalence among Management Leaders

Studies and observations indicate that hubris and narcissism are relatively common in leadership positions for several reasons.

Selection Bias – The traits of confidence and assertiveness associated with narcissism and hubris are often mistakenly equated with leadership potential, leading to the selection of such individuals for management roles. This is particularly so when the selection is more tilted toward potential rather than real achievements. In fact, a common perception is that high achievers may not be good leaders. 

Reinforcement of Success – Leaders who achieve early success may develop hubristic tendencies as their confidence grows unchecked. This success can also feed into narcissistic desires for recognition and validation. This may be the case if success is somehow related to something critical for the organization. 

Organizational Culture – Certain organizational cultures that reward aggressive and competitive behavior can exacerbate narcissistic and hubristic tendencies in leaders. This is more common in fast growing organization where outcome is the only thing that matters. The way it is achieved is not even discussed.

Impact on Management Behavior and Practices

Decision-Making

Hubristic leaders may engage in reckless decision-making, driven by an overconfidence in their own judgment and abilities. They are more likely to take significant risks without adequately considering potential downsides, leading to volatile and unpredictable organizational outcomes.

Narcissistic leaders, on the other hand, may make decisions primarily to enhance their own status and image. They might prioritize projects that bring them personal glory over those that benefit the organization, leading to suboptimal allocation of resources.

Communication and Collaboration

Leaders with high levels of hubris and narcissism often struggle with effective communication and collaboration. Their need to dominate discussions and their inability to accept differing viewpoints can stifle innovation and discourage team members from contributing ideas.

Such leaders are also less likely to acknowledge the contributions of others, leading to a demotivated workforce and high turnover rates. The lack of genuine empathy in narcissistic leaders can further alienate employees, creating a toxic work environment.

Conflict Management

Narcissistic leaders are prone to conflicts due to their sensitivity to criticism and tendency to react defensively or aggressively. This can create an atmosphere of fear and tension, where employees are reluctant to provide honest feedback or raise concerns.

Hubristic leaders may dismiss conflicts as trivial or unimportant, failing to address underlying issues and allowing them to fester. Their perceived invulnerability can prevent them from recognizing the need for conflict resolution strategies.

Ethical Considerations

Both hubris and narcissism can lead to ethical lapses. Hubristic leaders may believe they are above the rules, engaging in unethical behavior because they feel immune to consequences. Narcissistic leaders may justify unethical actions if they believe these actions enhance their status or protect their image.

What May be Done?

It is not easy to tackle both kinds of managers, particularly, when and as long as they keep bringing results. However, some mechanisms may be considered to mitigate the negative effects of these behaviors.

The primary focus for change is on the individual and this is the most difficult proposition, because they are not willing to realize, much less admit, that they are on the wrong path. It is therefore necessary to go for factors around and combat these behaviors.

Encouraging leaders to engage in self-reflection and seek feedback can help mitigate the effects of hubris and narcissism. Leadership development programs that focus on emotional intelligence, empathy, and humility are crucial. These programs should be run with the backing from the highest level otherwise, such managers shall not pay much attention.

Implementing robust accountability mechanisms can curb the excesses of hubristic and narcissistic leaders. Regular performance reviews, 360-degree feedback systems, and transparent decision-making processes can provide checks and balances.

Promoting a culture of collaboration and mutual respect can counteract the negative impacts of hubris and narcissism. Organizations should emphasize values such as teamwork, inclusivity, and ethical behavior.

Providing ongoing training and development opportunities can help leaders recognize and manage their own tendencies towards hubris and narcissism. Coaching and mentoring programs can offer personalized guidance and support.

Sum Up

While traits of hubris and narcissism are prevalent among management leaders, their impact on management behavior and practices can be profound and often detrimental. Among business leaders, hubris-driven scandals caused by people such as Adam Neumann of WeWork, Sam Bankman-Fried of FTX, and Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos destroyed huge amount of capital and affected thousands of people. Please note that these were not scams, but projects gone horribly wrong while leaders kept believing and preaching all was well.

By creating environment of self-awareness, accountability, supportive organizational cultures, and continuous leadership development, organizations can help mitigate these negative effects and promote healthier, more effective leadership practices. Understanding and addressing these traits is essential for creating resilient, ethical, and high-performing organizations.

Concluded.

Disclaimers: Pictures in these blogs are taken from free resources at Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, and Google. Credit is given where available. If a copyright claim is lodged, we shall remove the picture with appropriate regrets.

For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intention to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, however, it happens unintentionally, I offer my sincere regrets.