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Overconfidence in the C-Suite
In my work as a CEO coach, I have grown accustomed to working with executives who are self-assured and confident. These leaders have put in decades of hard work, and have the accomplishments to show for it. Some have built their organizations from scratch, driven turnarounds, or handled major business crises. When asked how they come to decisions, many of the more dynamic leaders I work with will answer, “I always trust my gut.” And why shouldn’t they? They have proven themselves over time. But it’s important for leaders to understand that the past doesn’t always predict the future.
This is the paradox of success: the more seasoned and successful a leader becomes, the harder it is to see how they might be wrong. Experience earns trust, credibility, and power — but it can also lead to dangerous overconfidence. In today’s business environment, change and disruption are constant, and overconfidence can be the downfall of a senior leader.
How Overconfidence Creeps Into the C-Suite
Overconfidence bias is a well-documented psychological phenomenon that is especially potent in positions of power. It stretches beyond self-esteem, causing executives to overestimate their correctness, while downplaying feedback and risk. The higher up a leader goes, the more insulated they become. In addition, they often begin to believe the things said about them in the media, or at public events where they are feted.
That insulation has consequences. Executives begin to believe the public narratives about them. Employees stop offering honest pushback. And without realizing it, leaders find themselves in an echo chamber--confident, but out of touch.
But in a volatile world, confidence without curiosity is a liability. Many executives fail not because they lack intelligence or drive, but because they stop adapting. Relying on old answers for new problems can be a costly mistake.
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