Legend in His Own Mind

Top Gun is a great movie, but if I really had to spend any time with the characters portrayed I'd think they were a bunch of egotistic jerks. I've been thinking lately about how certain occupations seem to attract people who are arrogant and self-centered. Think about it. How many humble brain surgeons have you ever met?

I guess if you're flying a jet fighter at Mach I you don't really have a lot of time for second guessing yourself. Being pretty self-confident might just help you to make the correct decision. Politicians also seem to be a group with quite a bit of hubris. Not every politician, though, just the very successful ones. My congressman, Don Manzullo, is a good guy but I doubt anyone would describe him as someone known for his humility.

Bill Clinton said recently that he had his "inappropriate relationship" with Monica Lewinsky "because I could". George W. Bush, although he seems to be of a higher moral caliber, doesn't come across as Mr. Humble either.

In order to be a leader you must have a sense that your vision is better than anyone else's. Without that sense you might as well let someone else lead. It's true that good leaders are often people who can bring about consensus among disparate ideas, but that's a skill too. The ability to build bridges, to bring opponents together, or to forge strategic alliances are all skills that require quite a bit of self-confidence. In order to be a leader you need to feel that you have something to offer that no one else has, but does that mean you need to be cocky? From looking at the successful leaders I've known, it seems to be the case.

I get the idea from history that Abraham Lincoln was a self-effacing person, not someone prone to thinking too highly of himself. I wonder though, is that picture accurate? Certainly among modern leaders there's no shortage of huge egos. Douglas MacArthur, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and that's just a few political leaders. There are many examples from the corporate world too.

Is there a model of successful leadership that incorporates the Christian ideal of humility?

As a Christian, I get the idea that someone who's haughty is not wise, yet in the real world it seems that great leaders are larger than life characters. Maybe it's more a matter of balance. Perhaps the way to be a great leader is to balance the belief in one's vision with a sense of humility. A tall order and, it seems, one that very few can accomplish.