As you Rise as a Leader, there is something that tends to come alongside the Success you Gain.
Recognition.
Now, Recognition is not inherently Positive or Negative.
In Leadership, we often talk about the Importance of Recognition, especially with our Teams.
Indeed, We as Humans "Want" and "Need" to be Recognized for our Hard Work.
It can Create Goodwill among Teams, and Cohesion when we Recognize each other's Contributions.
However, there is also a Dark Side that can come with Recognition.
This is "Especially" True when We Buy Into our Own Hype.
There is a Fine Line between having Competent Confidence and Becoming Egotistical.
Supposedly, this Fine Line was So Important to Pay Attention to that Marcus Aurelius, considered one of the Greatest Stoic Philosophers and known as one of The Five Good Emperors, hired an assistant whose "Only" Role was to constantly tell him...
"You're just a man. You're just a man."
But Why?
What could become a Hindrance for Leaders who Fall for their Own Hype?
Well, there are actually quite a few Problems that frequently arise for Leaders.
The First Problem is that most Leaders who Fall for their own Hype begin to Lose Sight of What "Actually" Got Them There.
When we begin to Fall into the Trap of our own Ego, we begin to think that "We" are the Reason for our Success.
That our Mystical Presence somehow just "Creates" Success.
This is Not True though.
Success comes from Hard Work, Dedication, Uniting People Together, and More.
Although "You" do play a Role in Success, the Truth is that the Larger the Success, the Smaller Your Role is within it.
If you are the only person in your Business, perhaps "Most" of the Success comes from you.
But in a Team of 100?
Or 1,000?
Or 10,000?
You are a Minuscule Piece of the overall operation.
Many Leaders discover "Just" how Insignificant they really are when they are Ousted, and the Organization Runs Perfectly Without Them.
Which begs the Question - Why did they get Ousted as a Leader?
Well, when we Fall for our Own Hype, we as Humans generally make a few common Mistakes that Create our own Coffin.
First, we begin to "Expect" Recognition, even if we Do Not Deserve It.
This leads to the Leader being called things like "Spoiled", "Dictatorial", and Worse.
Regardless of what you are Called, it is Never Positive.
It begins to get everyone asking, "Why are they even here?"
Then, Falling for our Own Hype leads directly to a Decreasing Emotional Intelligence.
When We Believe that "We" are the Reason for Success, We Put Ourselves on a Pedestal, which Immediately turns into Seeing Ourselves "Above" Others.
That Stance creates a Mental and Emotional Separation between Ourselves and Everyone Around Us.
This makes it More Difficult both to Understand Others and Understand How We are being "Truly" Perceived.
The problem here?
People Act as "They" Perceive the World.
So if You as the Leader are "Perceived" as being a Dictator who Demands Recognition for things others Do Not Believe You Earned...
They Will "Treat" You as that type of Dictator.
Nothing Good Happens when People Believe and Act "As If" You are a Dictator.
Just look at "All" of the Failed Return-To-Office "Mandates" to see how Employees Treat those they Perceive as Dictators.
Quiet Quitting, Insubordination, Protests, and More.
This ties into another Problem for All Leaders.
Your Success Depends On Your Team.
If Your Team is Not With You, then They Are Against You.
If They Are Against You, You Will Fail.
"A House Divided Cannot Stand"
These are all Frequent Occurrences when Leaders begin to Believe their own Hype.
Though, there is still One Incredibly Important Problem that is Created when Leaders Believe their Own Hype.
The More a Leader is Hyped, the More Responsibility They Carry for Failure.
When "You" Believe that "You" are the Reason for Success, by Default, to "Everyone" Around You, then "You" are Also the Reason for Failure.
No Success Lasts Forever.
Failure is Inevitable, and the More You Are Hyped, especially when you Artificially Inflate It by Believing Your Own Hype, the More Dramatically You become Held Accountable.
By Believing Your Own Hype, You Sign Your Death Certificate when the Failure "Does" Hit.
There will also be No One Who Will Save You.
Your Decreased Emotional Intelligence has Set Everyone Else Against You.
Your Level of Recognition "Should" Have Told You To Act Differently Before Failure Hit, but that Recognition was all Hype.
When All Fingers Point Toward You, The Executioner is Sent to Take Your Head.
This all Explains "Many" of the Problems we see in Leadership Today.
People Believing their own Hype, Unable to Comprehend "Why" they are being Treated as a Villainous Dictator.
These Leaders have Crossed the Line, and become Egotistical, and therefore have Lost their Right to Lead.
Inevitably, this becomes Failure.
So avoid this by Recognizing the Truth.
You are only a Human.
Your Success "Depends" on the Success of Your Team.
You "Need" those People to Work "With" You.
This is the Path to True, Long-Lasting Success as a Leader.