Mackay: Of all human failings, arrogance is deadliest in business

A young, foolish pilot wanted to sound cool and show who was boss on the aviation frequencies. So, the first time he approached an airfield at night, instead of making his official request to the tower, he said, "Guess who?"

The controller, unimpressed by the arrogant newbie, switched the field light off and replied, "Guess where!"

Of all the human failings that can destroy a business, arrogance is the deadliest.

It is the most readily acquired, the easiest to justify and the hardest to recognize in ourselves. We know arrogance when we see it, and we know it is wrong.

When we're successful, we reason, don't we deserve a bit of special consideration? Aren't we important enough to avoid the everyday annoyances and the tedious responsibilities that ordinary mortals must endure? No one is "entitled" to be dishonest or greedy, but a bit of smugness, well, that's just natural in a leader. We accept it. We even nurture it as a sign of success.

There is nothing at all wrong with being proud of your company and the work you do. In fact, if you don't take pride in your work, you are probably not doing the best job you can do. But pride and arrogance aren't the same thing.

Arrogance is defined as engaging in behaviors intended to exaggerate a person's sense of superiority by disparaging others. It's not the same as narcissism, which is self-admiration. Nor is arrogance the same as being confident, which I consider a positive trait.

Arrogance is a trait that society often tolerates and rewards, especially in professions like politics and business. A study conducted at Yale University found that arrogant attitudes begin to develop early in life. These researchers confirmed that children between the ages of 5 and 7 begin to show signs of arrogant thinking because they believe they know more than adults like their parents.

Arrogant people are easily identified by the behaviors they exhibit.

For example, they always want to be in the spotlight. They need to be the center of attention. They don't give others a chance to speak and often interrupt people.

They are more concerned with looking good than with doing a good job. They don't like doing dirty or tedious jobs. They take credit for other people's work.

Arrogant people rarely admit they are wrong, and they don't like to be challenged. They blame others when things go awry and seldom apologize or say they are sorry. Their facade is easily shattered, however, when their staff bolts and they are left to fend for themselves.

Arrogant people turn everything into a competition and will step on anyone who gets in their way. They hate to lose. They have certain expectations and want everything to go according to their plan, disregarding the merits of others' ideas.

Anyone who doesn't agree with them is deemed an enemy or threat. They treat people who aren't like them poorly. Arrogant people typically don't have a lot of friends because they have trouble building sincere relationships. They care more about winning than about friendship. Their negative qualities drive people away.

Summed up, arrogant people have little sense of self-awareness and, despite their best efforts, are easily identifiable.