THOUGHTS OF FEMOLAD: HUBRIS AND THE DANGER OF LEADERS WITH EXTREME SELF-REGARD

 

HUBRIS AND THE DANGER OF LEADERS WITH EXTREME SELF-REGARD

Hubris is a dangerous cocktail of overconfidence, over-ambition, arrogance and pride fuelled by power and success. When found alongside contempt for the advice and criticism of others, hubris causes leaders to significantly overreach themselves, taking risky and reckless decisions with harmful, sometimes catastrophic consequences for themselves, their organizations, institutions, and even for society. Given the economic, social, and geopolitical damage that can ensue, we should learn to recognize the signs of how hubristic leaders talk and act, and how to mitigate the consequences.

Hubrists don’t normally set out to wreak havoc, but this is all too frequently the unintended consequence of their actions. Their demise are an unintended consequence of their own temerity, and so become the victim of their own excesses.

Hubrists seem to invite nemesis, and somehow or other it comes to them.

 

Positive self image is psychologically healthy, and self confidence, proper ambition and authentic pride are necessary qualities for any successful leader. However in the hubrist these qualities morph into excesses, and the hallmark of hubris is contempt. The result is that – one way or another – hubristic leaders end up overreaching themselves and, as we know, the retribution served by Nemesis is likely to be severe.

His dream was so hubristic as to be delusional.  

The likelihood of suffering tragedy increases with a hubristic belief that we have everything under control.

The response to every problem is "No Problem".

Someone who worked very hard to achieve a skill and thinks he is better than everyone else is likely to be hubristic.

Many African leaders fall into this pit. On attaining success they are so filled with pride and self aggrandizement that they soon become Hubrists.

They start over-estimating themselves and put on the toga of invincibility. Caution and reason become scarce commodities with them.

They are also plagued with a retinue of hangers-on, bootlickers and sycophantic praise singers. Whatever the leader did was ‘Right’ in their eyes. They defended the big man, even with the essence of their being. Not, in most cases, because they love him so but for infrastructure of the stomach.

With an over-bloated ego the leader becomes hubric. He heeds no caution. He goes about with a sense of entitlement. He thinks everybody, even the gods, must bow to his will.

But Hubris is soon followed by nemesis.

The Hubric is soon brought down and the hangers on go into thin air.

No matter who you are. 

No matter how much you have achieved. 

No matter the power to decree life and death you possess and profess. 

No matter the Mafia-like control you have over people and their lives.

A combination of Hubris and Nemesis will bring you down.