The Arrivism Trap: When Successful Leaders Become Infallible

The higher executives climb, the less self-aware they become

Evgeniy Shvets/ Stocksy.

There is nothing worse than working for a know-it-all boss. But are these ‘infallible’ leaders born or made? Is this attitude a result of gaining more power or a consequence of their workplace culture?

Research shows that many executives stop learning once they reach the top. One study found that senior leaders often gain power at the expense of self-knowledge, overrating their own self-awareness, self-management, and social skills. As Andy Stanley aptly put it, “The higher up a person gets in an organization, the lower their organizational IQ.”

A promotion can trap leaders into thinking they’ve arrived and must, therefore, have all the answers. This phenomenon, known as "arrivism," results in a false sense of infallibility, leading them to believe their title means they know it all. This stagnation impedes both personal and organizational growth.

No matter what helped them rise, the illusion of having arrived can cause them and their organizations to plummet.

What…