Leadership and Self-Deception

Key takeaways

• Self-Deception About Your Own Contribution to Problems Undermines Effectiveness
• Being 'In the Box' Means Viewing Others as Objects Rather Than People
• Self-Betrayal Initiates the Cycle Into Self-Justifying Self-Deception
• Getting 'Out of the Box' Requires Genuinely Seeing Others as People Again
• Organizations Benefit When Leaders Consistently Recognize and Address Their Own Self-Deception

• Notice one moment today you're 'in the box' — justifying your view by blaming someone else
• Do one small thing today to genuinely help a person you've been viewing as an obstacle

Final takeaway

The authors' closing invitation: consistently recognize and address your own self-deception patterns — the tendency toward self-betrayal and subsequent self-justifying object-viewing of others — understanding this ongoing self-awareness practice as having significant benefit for your broader organizational and interpersonal effectiveness.