Welcome to Friday 411, issue #107. In 4 minutes, with 1 insight and 1 action, you’ll learn to detect the traits of an arrogant boss.
1 Insight
Pride is paradoxical. It magnifies itself in others but blinds you to your own.
We once worked for a boss who everyone believed was a good person and a good leader. He had a wonderful reputation in the community and was revered by everyone — except the people he led.
If you worked for him, he made it clear that he:
- Knew all the answers,
- Didn’t want your opinion,
- Didn’t need your help,
- Would steal your ideas and hijack your praise.
He had been successful in his career, so it took us a long time to realize that he was arrogant.
If you’re working with an arrogant boss, you might feel like something is wrong but not be able to understand what it is. Here are seven signs you’re working with an arrogant boss.
1. They Don’t Ask for Feedback
Good leaders want to be better leaders. You’ll frequently hear them ask questions like,
- How can I better lead you?
- What improvements can I make as a leader?
- What’s it like to be on the ‘other side’ of me?
Andy Stanley says, “Leaders who don’t listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.”
Arrogant bosses avoid feedback because it threatens their image. Humble leaders seek it because they know their blind spots can cost the team.
2. They Rarely Change Their Mind
Humble leaders recognize that they can — and will — be wrong. Frequently. They are open to new ideas and perspectives and have a growth mindset.
If your boss doubles down on decisions — even if the data shows they’re wrong — that’s a sign of stubborn arrogance.
Leaders have the challenge of making hard decisions and making bold calls. But courage and confidence require open minds. Inflexibility reeks of arrogance.
3. They Shut Down Disagreement
A leader’s unwillingness to change their mind often shuts down healthy disagreement. The next time you disagree with your boss, pay attention to how she responds.
Does she:
- Get defensive?
- Cut you off mid-sentence?
- Brush off your ideas without really listening?
Humble leaders don’t take disagreement personally. They see it for what it is — a sign of trust. When someone speaks up, it usually means they believe in the mission and want to help find the best path forward.
Disagreement isn’t disrespect. It’s partnership.
4. They Assume People Are “Wrong” Instead of “Different”
In her book Being Wrong, Kathryn Schulz makes two masterful points:
- People assume that their opinions are right — unless they realize that they were wrong. She says, “As absurd as it sounds when we stop to think about it, our steady state seems to be one of unconsciously assuming that we are very close to omniscient.”
- When a person disagrees without someone else, they make one of three assumptions: that the person is ignorant, an idiot, or evil.
Whether you’re discussing politics, religion, movies, or how to execute on your teams biggest priority, arrogant bosses assume that they are right. If you disagree with them, they assume that you are either ignorant, an idiot, or evil.
5. They Use “I” More Than “We”
I (Garland) once worked with a small business owner. If anyone on our team made a sale, the owner would share the news by saying, “I made a sale.”
He used the words I, my, me, and mine more frequently than we, our, and ours.
Our team started sharing good news with each other first. We wanted to celebrate together before he robbed us of the joy of collaboration.
Arrogant leaders talk like solo acts — even when they’re part of a band.
6. They Don’t Admit Mistakes
Arrogant leaders are more focused on saving face than building trust.
They suffer from two maladies when it comes to making mistakes:
- They don’t believe that they make any.
- If they do believe they made a mistake, they don’t admit it.
Leaders make just as many mistakes as others. But the impact of those mistakes is much greater because they affect more people.
Look for signs of blaming others, making excuses, or avoiding responsibility.
7. They think this article is about someone else
Here’s the twist: It’s easy to spot these signs in someone else and believe that they are an arrogant boss.
But you’re someone’s boss.
It could be that someone you lead is reading this article and thinks it’s about you!
Arrogance in others may be easy to see in others, but it is difficult to see in yourself. It doesn’t announce itself with fireworks. It creeps in quietly through small habits and unchecked assumptions.
Make sure you take a look in the mirror before you point the finger.
Humility is the Cornerstone
Character is the foundation of good leadership, and humility is the cornerstone of character.
At AdVance Leadership, we teach that Character is the first of the seven traits in our Unleashed Leadership framework — because without it, everything else crumbles.
When leaders lack character, even their best strategies, skills, and systems eventually fail. But when character is strong, it anchors the other six traits: Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency.
These seven traits aren’t just leadership theory — they’re practical tools that solve 95% of the challenges leaders face. And it all starts with the inner work of Character, which shows up in the daily choice of leading with humility.
1 Action
Talk to one member of your team this week. Ask them: “Am I demonstrating any of these signs of an arrogant boss?” If the answer is “yes,” check out this article to learn how to demonstrate humility.