Leadership and Self-Deception

In Leadership and Self-Deception, The Arbinger Institute explains how individuals can become more effective leaders by increasing self-awareness and holding themselves accountable. The authors believe that self-deception is the most common and most destructive element in many organizations. When people fail to treat others as people and instead regard them as objects, they fail to treat everyone with respect. People justify this behavior by creating a distorted view of reality, or a “box,” in which they can blame others. While people are “in the box,” they focus more on protecting their own self-justifications than on achieving results or encouraging others. People get “out of the box” by acknowledging their role in creating conflicts, and being “out of the box” leads to stronger leadership and improved relationships.