However, these folks don’t suffer fools or relate to fuzzy touchy-feely stuff. If he/she gets a real shock and a clear message that a change in behavior is needed, you might see some positive results from direct, targeted and crisp coaching interventions. If the competent but arrogant person is in mid-career of beyond, the chances for change are not favorable. If it’s really bad, maybe it’s time to ask the old Dear Abby question, “Is life better with or without him/her?” Maybe it’s time to polish the old resume.
But you still may walk out with your head under your arm. Who knows, you might just plant a positive seed. If you must confront such a boss, have clear facts, data and analyses to support your position, and state your reasons, methods and conclusions precisely. Of course you know that, but we forget the obvious when we’ve reached our limit. If it gets too bad, you can always confront the boss, but don’t do it in a public arena. What do you do with such a person in your organization? If he/she is the boss, maybe just grin and bear it, hoping that this too shall pass. The world enjoys seeing arrogant people get their comeuppance. And they will watch passively as the leader fails when they may have otherwise been glad to help out. Their subordinates learn to say all the right words and show appropriate compliance, but they secretly take pleasure in the inevitable obstacles and setbacks the bright/arrogant style creates. They create subordinates who become adept at passive aggressive behavior. High intelligence, high arrogance leaders can win any individual battle but lose the war. Tight ships aren’t necessarily happy ships. Sometimes that works, but not over the long term. If the boss is the brightest person in the room, and likely to ding someone for “dumb” ideas, people quickly learn to keep their heads down and let the boss set the course. Leaders with this combination of characteristics tend to oppress or overwhelm their subordinates. These people can be quite successful but they can also be destructive to morale and relationships, and ultimately to the organization. This is an interesting group, caught between competing forces of great potential and great danger. If they get lucky, and their unfounded self confidence propels them beyond their true abilities, they can destroy an organization. People with this unfortunate combination of characteristics can make a big splash early in their careers, but they usually flame out. They typically don’t make good decisions, and don’t anticipate the consequences of bad decisions. Good for building self esteem, but not for building leaders who can deal with the challenges and realities of business. They may have been taught they were special early on, in spite of evidence to the contrary. They don’t realize the limits of their ability and don’t have the good sense to ask for a second opinion. They’re more inclined to be facilitative and supportive in a leadership role than aggressive, charismatic or forceful. They’re likely to expect their work to speak for them and may have trouble selling themselves when necessary.
But if the low arrogance is due to insecurity, you may need to do some work to encourage them to take the initiative and go to bat for their solutions. If you’re in the selection and/or leadership development business, you want as many of these people you can get. These are the people who will solve problems, and do so in a way that’s not offensive or abrasive. They’re too dumb to know when somebody’s peeing on their leg and too nice to tell them to quit if they realize it. They may be delightful people to spend time with, but they’re not clever enough to solve complex business problems, or arrogant enough to bluff their way through. These people are not likely to rise to the executive ranks unless they’re related to someone in power. Plotted in a 2X2 grid, with brainpower on one axis and arrogance on the other, we see four basic combinations: (The other two I-Competencies are Guts and Will – the Integrity and Intensity competencies.) They are the Intellectual and Interpersonal “I-Competencies.” They can be thought of as the Head and Heart factors.
Intelligence and good interpersonal skills (which don’t include arrogance) are two of the fundamental characteristics necessary for success in business. But having these intellectual gifts also means that one gets used to being right, being perceived as a good problem-solver and being valued by others. Being smart, bright and clever often leads to business success. The Intersection of Arrogance and Intelligence
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