Introduction
In 2009, Lord David Owen, a former UK Foreign Secretary and physician, described a pattern he observed in leaders who had tasted power and success: Hubris Syndrome. It is not just arrogance. It is a creeping conviction that your judgment is superior in all fields, even those far outside your expertise. It is a set of behaviors that can turn a brilliant leader into a tragic figure—brimming with confidence, blind to limits, and often deaf to good advice.
Owen identified a cluster of traits that appear when someone has been in a position of power long enough to stop questioning themselves. When I think back to certain executives I’ve worked with—brilliant in their domain, but convinced they knew better than HR, marketing, finance, or even the law—it makes me wonder: Do you show signs of Hubris Syndrome?
Self‑Assessment
Here’s a simple self‑check. Read each statement below and answer Yes or No. Count how many “Yes” answers you give yourself.
- Do you feel destined to play a central role in your organization or industry?
- Do you believe your personal decisions will shape the future for many people?
- Do you focus obsessively on one overriding goal, ignoring other considerations?
- Do you treat your personal vision as something to be implemented immediately, despite objections?
- Do you show impatience or contempt for those who question or challenge you?
- Do you ignore advice from colleagues or experts when it conflicts with your views?
- Do you prefer to surround yourself with people who agree with you?
- Do you use language portraying yourself as a savior or uniquely qualified leader?
- Do you believe you have a special relationship with “the truth” that others lack?
- Do you take significant risks without considering alternatives or warnings?
- Do you rarely admit mistakes, instead blaming others or circumstances?
- Do you make sweeping decisions without detailed analysis?
- Do you feel rules or procedures that constrain others don’t really apply to you?
- Do you sometimes treat your role or power as if it were permanent?
Scoring
- 0 Yes answers: ✅ Grounded Leader — “You’re like a frog who knows exactly how deep the well is—and is perfectly happy there.”
- 1–14 Yes answers: ⚠️ Hubris Signals Detected — “Careful—your frog may already be wearing a crown and giving TED Talks from the bottom of the well.”
Remedial Actions (Tragic and Funny)
Recognizing yourself in these traits isn’t a curse—it’s a starting point. Here are Owen’s traits matched with tongue‑in‑cheek remedies that are both tragic and funny because they’re so human:
- Feel destined to play a central role: Ask someone in Accounts Payable what they think of your destiny. If they don’t roll their eyes, you’re improving.
- Believe your decisions will shape the future for many: Say “I alone will change everything” to a mirror. If you can keep a straight face, try again tomorrow.
- Obsess on one overriding goal: Write your goal on a sticky note. Then list ten neglected things on ten more sticky notes. Wear them to your next meeting.
- Implement personal vision immediately despite objections: Host a meeting titled “Reasons This Is a Terrible Idea” before launching anything big.
- Show impatience or contempt for challengers: When someone disagrees, bite your tongue—literally if you must—until you can say “Fascinating, tell me more.”
- Ignore advice from experts: Put down your phone and actually listen to the person with “expert” in their title. Try not to visibly sigh.
- Surround yourself with yes‑people: Hire someone whose only KPI is to make you uncomfortable. Bonus if they begin with “Are you sure?”
- Portray yourself as a savior: Delete every “I alone can…” from your speech. Replace with “we,” or even better, “Steve from IT.”
- Believe you have a special relationship with truth: Announce: “I do not, in fact, have a hotline to universal truth.” Watch the relief—or the laughter.
- Take significant risks without considering alternatives: Write three backup plans on napkins before your next bold move. Read them aloud to the receptionist for feedback.
- Rarely admit mistakes: At your next all‑hands, confess: “It was me who broke the coffee machine.” Enjoy your newfound credibility.
- Make sweeping decisions without analysis: Demand a spreadsheet for every decision. At least look at it before talking.
- Feel rules don’t apply to you: Fill in your own expense forms down to the $3 coffee. Feel the pain. That’s what everyone else does.
- Treat your role as permanent: Write your own farewell speech. If you can’t imagine anyone clapping, you might be gripping the throne too tightly.
Humorous? Yes. Tragic? Also yes. But if you laughed—and winced—you’re already on the right path. Awareness is step one. Humility is step two. And step three? Well, maybe start by looking up from the bottom of that well.
Read the Original Blog Post Here
A Frog in a Well Cannot Conceive of the Sea: Leadership Overreach Through History