Hubris can sabotage your career. Here’s how to avoid it
Unrestrained pride in your abilities or achievements can lead to shame, humiliation, and — without correction — disaster.
Excessive pride can sabotage your career. But unfortunately, many of us experience a similar pattern: first we are strivers, then we are achievers, and then hubris takes hold.
I’ve experienced this pattern more often than I care to admit. Maybe you have, too.
Power and success are tricky to manage. We’re all prone to hubris. The trick, especially at work, is recognizing hubris and adjusting our behavior before it causes damage. Hubris has a stealthy way of warping our self-awareness when we need it most. And in the office, hubris can damage our relationships, limit collaboration, and hinder learning. Ultimately, being humble will always garner the most positive response.
Here’s why hubris is so common, and how to avoid it:
The danger of hubris
When I think about hubris, I often think about a life-changing moment I had during a driving lesson on a local track. Among the four of us in the car, an instructor, and two fellow students, I was the third to take the wheel. Eager to do my best, I followed the instructor’s directions. I didn’t want to look like an idiot.
