Throughout history, leaders have been seduced by success, leading them down a path of hubris. This ancient Greek term, literally translating to “excess,” describes a state of exaggerated self-belief and arrogance.

An extreme example is Xerxes, king of the Persian Empire. Feeling invincible from past triumphs, Xerxes sought to conquer Greece. However, when a storm destroyed his bridge across the Hellespont, sinking his plans, he reacted outlandishly. Xerxes had the engineers who built the bridge beheaded and ordered his soldiers to whip the sea with chains and poke it with red-hot irons. It’s evident that Xerxes, blinded by overconfidence, couldn’t fathom the possibility of setbacks. In essence, he was intoxicated by hubris.

People suffering from hubris imagine that the way they view the world is the way the world is supposed to be. They overestimate their capabilities, often to an extreme degree, and see themselves as limitless. Even in the face of failure, they cling to the illusion of their own rightness.

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