By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
Yes, am referring to something big. Like someone’s big ego which can become arrogance. It was what I forgot last week when I was talking about some causes of business failures.
Not just in business. Many careers and other endeavors dived into an abyss never to come back because of it.
At one time Henry Ford said, “The customer can choose any color he wants as long as it is black.“ He thought the world revolved around him and his company.
Decades later one of his descendants running the same company, while inspecting a Toyota and a French car (probably a Renault), both small cars, said in condescension, “We make cars for people to sit on, not to spit on.” What arrogance.
Years later the Japanese car companies scrubbed the noses of American car companies on the pavement. Right in their own backyard. For a very long time, General Motors of the USA was the world’s biggest car company. Then it was forced to relinquish that title to Toyota. For a while it was taken over by Volkswagen. Now it is Tesla, the electric car company of Elon Musk. But Toyota is still up there and could become the biggest again any time.
And where is Ford now? It is still haunted by a $6B loan it got from the US government. What is that joke about the meaning of Ford? “Fix Or Repair Daily.”
The worst effect of arrogance is when you underestimate the competition. Often done in a gross manner. Those who are level headed do not look down on the small guys. Worth learning was what Juan Ponce Enrile said of Cory Aquino, the mere house wife about whom the late President Marcos allegedly said, “only good for the bedroom.” But the wiser Enrile said much later, “Underestimate her at your own peril.”
Chinese and other wise businessmen supposedly value competition. They keep others to be always on their toes. It is what drives innovation, competence and efficiency. Without competitors, businessmen, and other leaders for that matter, become lazy or even worse, arrogant. Yes, the cemetery of dead businesses are full of those formerly led by people with oversized egos.
A person’s ego is perhaps the most difficult to control. When a new policeman is issued his official side arm, he would immediately have a peculiar swagger about him. A lot of them become arrogant.
When a young lawyer starts being addressed as attorney, he would be shy at first. But slowly his ego would start being noticed by others.
It is the same among other professionals whether engineers, architects, accountants, doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. Or when one achieve’s something in life or be in a distinguished position or status in society.
Worse, however, is the effect of having money. Usually, the fatter one’s bank account is, the bigger is her or his ego. I think it is a natural phenomenon affecting everyone.
The moral of the story is for everyone to be aware to control ourselves, particularly the way we behave whenever the ego starts rearing its ugly head.
That way we can deal with others in a sane way. For those in business, sane decisions will result and may avoid bankruptcies.
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