What is your biggest blind spot as a leader, and how have you overcome it?
Social awareness was my biggest blind spot. My background exposed me to leadership through many different lenses—as an Army officer, academic, coach, and consultant. Early on, I believed the military way of leading was the right way because it was what I knew. Over time, I learned that leadership is universal. Great leadership exists across every profession, and I had to appreciate the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and talents that civilian leaders bring. That realization made me a better leader and a better student of leadership.
What was your motivation for writing this book?
I always intended to transform my doctoral dissertation on Organizational Arrogance into a book that was accessible to a broader audience. Before doing that, I wanted to establish its academic foundation through journal articles and a textbook chapter.
Then life happened.
When I began drafting the book, my mother’s cancer returned. She passed away nine months later. She was one of my biggest supporters and believed deeply in this work. After losing her, I lost interest in writing altogether.
On the third anniversary of her passing, I made a promise to finish the book in her honor. That commitment became my greatest motivation—not just to write the book, but to finish it.
Can your research be applied to small organizations, large organizations, and government agencies?
Absolutely. The core premise of Organizational Arrogance is that individual behaviors shape organizational culture. Because of that, these concepts apply whether you’re leading a small business, a Fortune 500 company, a government agency, a military organization, a nonprofit, a church, or a healthcare system.
Wherever people interact, culture is being shaped.
How does your research connect emotional intelligence and Organizational Arrogance?
Emotional intelligence is one of the strongest tools we have for disrupting Organizational Arrogance. In the book, I introduce an Organizational Arrogance Emotional Intelligence Intervention Model that shows how the four domains of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—can help people interrupt superiority behaviors before they become cultural norms.
The goal isn’t simply to recognize arrogance. It’s to develop the emotional capacity to respond differently in those moments that often trigger it.
How can this be applied in an anti-DEI environment?
Organizational Arrogance is not a diversity, equity, or inclusion concept. It is a leadership and organizational culture concept.
Organizational Arrogance explains how superiority behaviors, when left unchecked, can spread throughout an organization and eventually become part of its culture. Learning to recognize, interrupt, and address those behaviors benefits every organization, regardless of its position on DEI. These are leadership skills that apply anywhere people work together.
Does Organizational Arrogance exist primarily in the military, civilian sector, or both equally?
My research found Organizational Arrogance across every sector I studied—military, government, private industry, nonprofit organizations, and beyond.
No organization is immune. The environments may look different, but the underlying behaviors are remarkably similar.
How did you decide on the title of your book?
The title came directly from my doctoral research. When I coined the term Organizational Arrogance, I wanted a phrase that captured how superiority behaviors evolve beyond an individual and become embedded within an organization’s culture.
The title reflects that journey—from individual behavior to organizational phenomenon.
How does a mid-level manager change toxic behaviors that come from the top?
That’s one of the hardest leadership challenges.
You begin by understanding whether the behavior is isolated or reinforced throughout the organization. Then focus on your circle of control and your circle of influence. You may not be able to change the entire culture overnight, but you can influence the environment around you.
Model healthy leadership, hold people accountable for behaviors that undermine dignity and respect, and remember—we teach people how to treat us by what we tolerate.
How has understanding Organizational Arrogance shaped you as a leader?
It has made me much more intentional.
I’m constantly aware that my words, behaviors, and attitudes don’t just affect individuals—they influence culture. It has also given me the confidence to intervene when I observe irresponsible leadership behaviors and to coach others in a way that is corrective rather than simply punitive.
How were you inspired to write the book?
Finding my “why” was one of my biggest challenges.
This book began as doctoral research, but somewhere along the journey it became much more personal. My mother’s battle with cancer taught me lessons about perseverance, resilience, courage, and an unwavering determination to keep moving forward.
When I finally completed the manuscript, I realized the book wasn’t simply about Organizational Arrogance. It also represented the leadership lessons my mother modeled every day during the most difficult season of her life.
If Organizational Arrogance is left unchecked, what is the ultimate cost—to innovation, talent, trust, and mission accomplishment?
The costs are significant—for both people and organizations.
On the human side, research shows these environments contribute to psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, burnout, absenteeism, aggression, workplace conflict, and increased turnover.
For organizations, the consequences include losing talented employees, reduced innovation, declining trust, damaged reputations, legal exposure, and ultimately a reduced ability to accomplish the mission.
The human cost eventually becomes an organizational cost.
Knowing what you know now, how would you have mentored Army leaders differently?
I would have given them the language to understand how leadership behaviors shape culture.
I would have taught them how to recognize the early warning signs of Organizational Arrogance, understand the difference between confidence and superiority, and intervene before unhealthy behaviors became normalized.
Ultimately, I would have helped them understand that culture is shaped one behavior at a time.
Once identified, why hasn’t more progress been made in overcoming Organizational Arrogance?
That’s a great question.
One reason is that many organizations don’t yet have a common language to describe what they’re experiencing. It’s difficult to solve a problem that hasn’t been clearly defined.
That’s exactly why I wrote this book—to start the conversation. My hope is that this work creates greater awareness, encourages meaningful dialogue, and inspires organizations to take action. But this movement won’t happen because of me alone. It’ll happen because people like you continue the conversation.
What are the telltale signs of an arrogant leader?
Confident leaders trust in their abilities while recognizing and leveraging the expertise of others.
Arrogant leaders trust in their perceived superiority. Instead of inviting different perspectives, they dismiss, silence, or minimize the contributions of others.
Confidence builds teams. Superiority diminishes them.
What is one thing you hope readers walk away with after reading this book?
I hope they walk away enlightened.
With enlightenment comes curiosity. Curiosity leads to learning, and learning inspires action. If readers finish the book seeing their organizations through a different lens and feel equipped to start meaningful conversations, then I’ve accomplished my goal.
Now that we’ve identified Organizational Arrogance, is there a solution, or do we simply adapt?
There is absolutely a solution.
It begins with awareness. Once we recognize the behaviors, we can start the conversation. From there, we take intentional action to interrupt those behaviors before they become part of the culture.
Awareness. Conversation. Action.
That’s how lasting change begins.
What was your motivation for this content?
My motivation has always been to increase awareness and equip leaders at every level with practical tools to recognize, interrupt, and reduce the threat of Organizational Arrogance.
Awareness without action changes nothing. My goal is to provide both.
If you had to summarize what this book means to you in one word, what would it be?
Purpose.
This book represents years of research, personal sacrifice, and one of the greatest promises I’ve ever made—to my mother, to myself, and to every leader committed to building healthier organizational cultures.
