Leading Without Grandiosity and Hubris
Yesterday I wrote about hubris in Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Hubris. In that post I spoke of the story of Icarus. Today, I am continuing to think about hubris and am reminded of a scene in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring where Boromir showed his hubris. In the great book, The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings, Fleming Rutledge described the scene like this:
“Boromir is not the only one being fought over. Here in this scene, Frodo enters his greatest struggle thus far. He is not facing the Nazgûl; he is not facing the Orcs; he is not facing the Uruk-hai; he is facing only one person, a friend and ally, a valiant warrior of his own fraternity, a man with the same goals and the same Enemy. What he sees in Boromir, however, gives him insight that he did not have before. He sees grandiosity and hubris, the overweening self-importance that proves fatal in any created being. It is not Boromir’s reasoning that alerts Frodo to the danger of his proposal; it is Boromir’s pride. Frodo is thus able to resist when his much larger companion puts forth his seductive arguments” (The Fellowship of the Ring, p. 190).
Avoiding hubris involves cultivating self-awareness and humility. We need to encourage honest opinions from trusted colleagues, friends, or mentors to gain different perspectives on your actions and decisions. The scene with Boromir reminds us that everyone has limitations and that success is often a collective effort, not solely individual prowess.
To fight hubris we also need to stay curious and open-minded. We need to keep learning and be receptive to new ideas and constructive criticism. This helps prevent overconfidence in our current knowledge or abilities. Additionally, we need to reflect on and analyze previous errors to understand how overconfidence or arrogance may have contributed and learn from those experiences.
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins is surrounded by others with diverse perspectives. We need to engage with people from different backgrounds and viewpoints to challenge our assumptions. By practicing these habits, we can nurture humility, remain grounded, and make wiser, more balanced choices. Thus, helping to avoid the pitfalls of hubris.
Byron's Babbles 
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