Overconfidence is one of the worst pitfalls that can befall any business leader or manager. The risk is higher the further up the ladder you climb. We don’t always get warnings of an impending disaster brought on by over confidence or arrogance. If there is, it’s ignored. As Ernest Hemingway once said about bankruptcy; “it happens gradually, then very quickly”, catastrophes wrought by over-confidence follow the same route.
It’s easy to become over confident. It’s understandable because we live in a world where we are judged on what we deliver. When we produce those results, it’s tempting to stop right there and bask in the glow of your superiors’ praise. Also in your peers’ admiration or envy – at your deserved status as the rainmaker; the golden goose laying the golden egg.
As business leaders, it is important to keep sight of what’s happening on the ground
But it’s right at that moment when we start believing our own Facebook likes and laudatory LinkedIn posts that we need to double down on the very qualities that got us to that level of success in the first place. Business leaders need to reflect on our vulnerabilities, our fears and our concerns and how we addressed them, not resolutely ignore them.
Doubling down on the governance systems that we established when we were building our businesses, is a must. We should not sidestep them because it’s when the accountability and oversight start to drop that the cracks in the perfect façade start appearing.
To keep sight of what is happening on the ground, is important. Instead too many of us isolate ourselves from both the shop floor and our clients because we get too busy for the important stuff.
At the same time, we must remain accessible to the people who report in to us. Especially those closest to us, and maintain a corporate culture where truth is spoken to power.
Maintain a corporate culture where truth is spoken to power
We have seen it happen too many times when a cult-like culture is created around a business or political leader. There’s no one to tell the person in the middle the truth. Most of us have heard of the fairytale of the emperor who was persuaded by a rogue tailor to put on an imaginary suit at an exorbitant cost. Only for a small child to ask why the emperor was not wearing anything. The tragic part is that we see this playing out all the time with presidents who are obviously too old for their roles. Also with others who appear shocked by the reality of the lives lived by ordinary citizens.
So be honest. Not everything might be in the public realm, but disgruntled former colleagues can talk and confidential company memos can be leaked anonymously. When they come out, no one looks at how they appeared. They only look at what they contain and who will be tarnished by association.
We need to remain alert to what is happening
It happens in business too. There’s no magic bullet only a set of practices that we have to apply to ensure we remain alert. We need to remain alert to what is happening both within our businesses and within the markets and communities and societies in which we operate.
Connection leads to communication, which should then lead to comprehension. The numbers don’t always tell the truth. In fact they can be deliberately spun or misinterpreted to obscure the reality on the ground.
Don’t be the smartest person in the room. Actively surround yourself with people who will challenge you. Who will ask you the questions with the honesty (and incredulity) of the little boy watching the naked emperor.
But perhaps the greatest leveller for all business leaders is servant leadership. There’s a reason why the greatest leaders give back. It’s more than being at the rockface of the company, it’s about getting out and getting stuck in. Success needs to be met with service. Helping those less fortunate than yourself, grounding yourself in their reality. Making a real difference to their lives.
There’s no guarantee that your company will fly or that you will continue to be a high achiever in your career. But remaining grounded and grateful, fully aware of your life; with its highs and lows. This within the context of everyone else’s life is at least the insurance policy to ensure you never fly too close to the sun and suffer the consequences as a result. That should be reward in itself.
Lucia Mabasa expresses an expert opinion in this article
Lucia Mabasa is Chief Executive Officer of pinpoint one human resources, a proudly South African black women owned and business leader of an executive search firm. pinpoint one human resources provides executive search solutions in the demand for C suite, specialist and critical skills across industries and functional disciplines, in South Africa and across Africa.
Read her previous columns.
This article was published in IOL.
