The Power of Self-Deception

Heather Rodriguez, Director of Quality, TBD Consulting

It is in our nature that we grossly exaggerate our own sense of abilities. In seeking humility, this is one place that we really struggle.  

Thomas Gilovich, professor of psychology at Cornell University found that 70 percent of the 1 million high school seniors surveyed thought they had "above average leadership ability."  He also found that 94 percent of college professors think they are doing "better than average job." 

Gregg Elshof explores the topic of self-deception further:

"A mother somehow manages not to notice the obvious signs that her son is on drugs. A wife does the same with respect to her husband's affair.  All of the evidence is easily available.  Yet it goes unseen.  The young man puts out of mind the horrors of the sex-slave industry driving the pornography business and convinces himself that these women actually enjoy their work.  The politician convinces himself that his lofty ends justify morally ambiguous means (or worse). The director of a non-profit organization manages to find sincerely compelling a perspective from which money donated to the ministry can legitimately be used to pay for an extravagant personal vacation or, perhaps a private jet."  

We must embrace our weakness or we fall prey to the self-deception around us.  Humility would help all leaders see ourselves a bit differently.