10 MIN READ

Managing Arrogant People

Developing Team Players

Arrogant people often have an inflated sense of self-importance.

When Alejandro joined your team three months ago, you couldn't wait for him to get started. You knew that he was a highly skilled expert, who put in the hours and always hit his targets. However, you didn't know that he'd prove impossible to manage!

You quickly discovered that Alejandro doesn't accept guidance, and he fails to follow instructions. In meetings, he talks across other people and tries to take charge, even when he's not familiar with the agenda. And, he often submits work that is completely different from what you requested, because he knows a "better" way to do it.

Alejandro's attitude and body language imply that he's impatient and dismissive of you, and you've received a number of complaints from other team members about his rude, abrupt and arrogant behavior. So, what can you do to improve the situation, and rebuild relationships within the team?

In this article, we'll explore what arrogance is, how arrogant people often behave, and how you can manage arrogant team members.

Note:

See our Team Management section for more on managing different types of people. You might also find our articles on Managing Overconfident People, Dealing With Bossy Co-Workers, and Managing Egos at Work useful.

Understanding Arrogance

Arrogant people behave in a way that suggests they are superior to those around them. Arrogance can take many forms, such as an inflated sense of self-importance, a belief that you are better than others, impatience with less knowledgeable team members, an unwillingness to listen, or disdain for different points of view.

Arrogant team members are less likely to accept feedback or direction than others, they may ignore advice or guidance, and they can blindly pursue misguided courses of action due to their overwhelming belief in themselves and their abilities....