Why Do Leaders Deceive Themselves? | Intellectual Capital by the ...

Why Do Leaders Deceive Themselves?

As much as we?d like to believe that we?re rational human beings, we can all too easily mislead ourselves. Self-deception is a process that encourages us to justify our false and invalid beliefs.

Individuals, organizations and communities experience self-deception ? the root of most problems, according to the Arbinger Institute, a Utah-based consulting firm. It?s human nature to blame others, externalize causes and deny our role in organizational struggles. This tendency is so pervasive that few of us escape its reach, and self-deception intrudes into every aspect of our lives. Nowhere is it more destructive than at the top of the leadership food chain.

As someone responsible for influencing others, consider this: Self-deception blinds you to the true source of most conflicts. Once you?re caught in its trap, all of the ?solutions? you propose will likely make matters worse. You?ll find that your self-deception:

• Obscures the truth about yourself
• Corrupts your view of others and your circumstances
• Destroys your credibility and the trust others have in you
• Inhibits your ability to persuade others
• Thwarts wise decision-making

The extent of your self-deception determines how much your happiness and leadership efforts will be undermined. Without some form of intervention, your performance will suffer, and your subordinates will remain unengaged.

Fortunately, recognizing this leadership trap can inoculate you against its consequences. If, however, you believe that guarding yourself against wishful thinking will prevent self-deception, you may be in for a bumpy ride. Ongoing vigilance is required to preserve immunity, note Arbinger?s experts in Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. Awareness will:

• Sharpen your vision
• Reduce feelings of conflict
• Enliven the desire for teamwork
• Redouble accountability
• Enhance your ability to achieve results
• Boost job satisfaction and overall happiness

You can then leverage your leadership strengths, view yourself and others more positively, and resolve resistant personal and professional relationship problems.

Are You ?In? or ?Out? of the Box?
Leadership and Self-Deception features an entertaining story about an executive who is facing challenges at work and home. His exploits expose the psychological processes that conceal our true motivations and intentions from us and trap us in a ?box? of endless self-justification. Most importantly, the book shows us the way out.

When you?re ?in the box,? you are speaking with your interests and goals in mind. Through the lens of self-justification, you?ll find external factors and other people to blame. You?ll deny responsibility for problems and fail to identify your part in perpetuating them. In your interactions, you?ll try to change other people and convince them to do what you would do.

When you?re ?out of the box,? there?s room for openness, authenticity, and interest in and empathy for other people. You?ll seek the true basis for problems, including your own participation. You?ll be less interested in assigning blame or judgment, or being locked into unproductive battles. You can give up any delusions that trap you and force you to defend yourself. You can channel your energy into becoming self-aware, identifying needs and achieving results.

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Source: http://huntsearch.com/blog/?p=171

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