Hubris and self-focus: how to wield power without succumbing to overconfidence and egotism

Interviewer: Today I'm interviewing Professor Tiziana Casciaro, Professor of Organizational Behavior and HR Management. Marcel Desautels, Chair in Integrative Thinking at Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. What we're about to discuss is how leaders can prevent themselves falling prey to hubris and self-focus. Professor Casciaro is the joint author, together with Professor Julie Battilana, the article published in Harvard Business Review, "Don't Let Power Corrupt You, how to exercise influence without losing your moral compass", in the September-October 2021 edition. They are also co-authors of the book, "Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business". It was published by Simon & Schuster in 2021. It's anticipated that listeners of this interview will already have read the article. Professor Casciaro, thank you for sparing the time today. Your article has many anecdotal stories of how leaders have spotted and dealt with the risks of hubris and self-focus. May I start by asking, what is the extent of the problem as opposed to the risk of the problem, and how do you know that the antidotes that you describe are effective? Prof. Casciaro: Thank you, Neil. You started with a very good question.