Under no circumstance, leadership and self-deception can’t align in any work environment. Self-deception deviates one from assessing situations, in a proper manner. Therefore, it is inevitable not to influence one’s life.
Terry Warner is an American scholar, whose academic work focuses on the
problem of self-deception. Self-deception is a problem that can be a source of frictions. In addition, it is a problem that we all have, but we aren’t aware.
In fact, the reference point of this problem is the way one perceive oneselve and how diverging this view is, in relation to the reality. A compounding addition to this problematic situation, is one's tendency to objectify others; hence, neglecting the fact that they are human beings, and of what they carry on their insides. Consequentially, this tendency is channeled to one's behavior towards others; therefore, a person's true view on others is exposed, with any attempts of concealment failing. Moreover, adopting a view that doesn’t correspond to reality and reducing peoples’ humanity to objects, leads one to make up excuses that operate in favor of oneself.
Obviously, the impediment of self-deception that extends from one’s personal context to professional; and, subsequently, to the person's entire spectrum of life. However, if the aforementioned description of self-deception focuses on an individual and how it expands to others. Try to create a mental image of self-deception that involves all the types of relationships in all life contexts, from multiple individuals. Clearly, we refer to a problematic relationship system, with many possibilities of conflict due to false impressions.
The psychology of leadership has formed multiple theories, with different approaches on the subject that correlate to different styles. Despite the different leadership formations, they all converge to the general
definition of leadership and its two crucial parameters: the dimension of others; and, the fact that it is goal-oriented. Specifically, the examination of the relation between leaders and employees is evident, in all of them.
On the contrary, self-deception not only prioritizes the self over others, but strips others off their humanity. Therefore, self-deception can prove to be damaging on the workplace balance. Apparently, leadership and self-deception are two concepts that can’t conform with each other, as the latter operates against the pillars of leadership.
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In conclusion, self-deception conflicts with leadership definition integrants; and, in particular, the integrant of other people. In fact, the former blocks the perception of oneself and can become a source of friction in various life contexts.
