Arrogance is the antithesis to progress

What makes a true leader? Many people have differing opinions on the subject. some believe that a leader must always be at the forefront , while others believe that they are to be at back pushing those who follow them. There have been examples of good leaders, bad leaders, and great leaders. What’s the difference? I believe much iof the difference to be their sense of morality. As we go through life, there are many traits befall us, some come naturally while others are more learnt and to our liking. One trait that I belive to be greater than all others is the abililty to care about others. Most of us care about somebody else. In that care, we foster love, and by the strength of that love, we become more willing to help them, to listen to them, to guide them, and to be guided by them. Caring about others requires a great deal of sacrifice on our part, and when we sacrifce what is necessary, we can reap the rewards of a relatifonship that blesses all that are involved.

However, in each of us also lies a little devil that simply does not care. It is rooted and nutured by putting self-preservation over all else and everyone else. Frequently this self-preservation requires that others make sacrafices for us, even at their own dismay. We only begin to care for our circumstances, our place in the world, and for our own ideas. everything else becomes a threat to our power and survival. It is this rabbit hole of Arrogance that leads us down until it is too late the realize the ammount of destruction we have caused. It is important to not fall into this trap, as it can ruin our business, family, and who we dream of becoming. In Arrogance, we believe ourselves to be superior and able to do anything without the help of others. This idea is such a ridiculous concept. When has anyone not needed someone else their life? When has one person ever built a civilzation on their own? We need eachother, and when we realize that, we can open our mind and work together towards great things, not worrying about wether if it was our idea or not.

Ed Catmull in his book, Creativity Inc. Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, speaks of a time where was called to manage and lead a team in his pursuit to develop the filed of computer animation. He had to hire a team of people to move the project forwards. He said, speaking of his experience, “One of the first people I interviewed was Alvy Ray Smith, a chatismatic texam with a Ph.D. in computer science and a sparkling resume that included teaching stints at New York University and UC conflicting feelings when I met Alvy because, frankly, he seemed more qualified to lead the lab than I was. I can still remember the uneasiness in my gut, that instinctual twinge spurred by a potential threat: This, I thought, could be the guy who takes my job one day. I hired him anyway…To ensure that it succeeded, I needed to attract the sharpest minds; to attract the sharpest minds, I needed to put my own insecurities away. The lesson of ARPA had lodged in my brain: When faced with a challenge, get smarter.” (page 34) Ed did not let his arrogance get in the way of prrogress. He valued the team and the benfits that could come to all more than his position as the one in the charge.We must all be careful to not let our own arrogance destroy our own dreams and the dreams of others.

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