Hubris.  We have been warned since the time of Icarus that hubris is the downfall of many and it is especially so for leaders.  From military commanders, to elected officials, to corporate leaders, hubris has been the ruination of many people and many organizations and continues to be a lesson that far too many have not learned since the mythical adventures of Icarus were first shared.  This failing to learn spawns the question of "why" so many have failed to learn from the legend of Icarus and one reason is that we have become complacent or even arrogant about our own hubris.  Some believe that they are smart enough to avoid the hubris trap, or confident enough in their own abilities to minimize the downside of hubris, but interestingly enough, most get caught by hubris nonetheless.   

While confidence in one's own abilities is a positive character trait, one must always guard against the arrogance that unchecked confidence can bring.  Hubris can lead to a toxic corporate culture and excessive risk taking by the organization and is something every leader needs to be actively guarding against.  While it may not be necessary to have someone whisper in your ear constantly "You're just a man," as legend has it that Marcus Aurelius did, leaders must create systems and processes to effect the same outcome.  Some examples of systems that can be put in place to guard against hubris may include:

• The designation of a "devil's advocate" during meetings and discussions

• Cultivating a true culture of welcoming divergent thinking

• Leadership development and regular changeover

• Strong stewardship processes that highlight weak signals in the business

• Creation of a trusted advisor network that will give you honest feedback and perspective

One cannot avoid the hubris trap by simply ignoring it's existence or hoping that you're the one that it won't catch.  Instead, leaders must create the infrastructure around them to help keep them humble and guard against the evils of hubris.

Hubris, arrogance, is just one step ahead of loss of integrity, because if you think you're better than other people, you know more, then you're going to think, as many leaders have, that the rules don't apply to them - so they lose their integrity.  Anonymous

It’s only hubris if I fail.  Julius Caesar

The worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance.  Jim Rohn