Arrogance Kills me Softly

Sometimes after we went through a lot of stuff, we feel that we had learned a lot and become a much better person compared to our peers. From here, the arrogance creeps in slowly, as we feel more superior and undermine others. The problem is only others will notice our arrogance, but we will not notice it. I think arrogance creeps in on me sometimes as well, cause I always think I am the best, if not one of the good one then.

A colleague of mine was separated from the main team for more than a year working on client site. I believed she did learn a lot from the project in term of technical and business knowledge. At the same time, I think she hold a grutch towards the main team for not backing her up when she was working on the client project (the project suck up too much resources with not finite schedule, and the management could not agree on deploying majority of the main team to help on the project). Practically, she was left there alone with a few rookies to fight. Ever since, she began to undermine the work done by the main team and question our effort. I believe she had formed her very own opinion on work and believe things are best done following her way without much tolerance. She believes in team participation in a project, but only in her very own way (sounds like a communist leader who believes she is pro-democracy). She became very picky as well on the projects she want to work on (self interest above self sacrifice perhaps?). Somehow, she had turn from a very friendly team player to a very difficult dictator.

It is good for someone to have their own opinion, but for a team to work we must be willing to compromise and tolerate as well. It is good to question and criticise, given that it is constructive and you are willing to listen as well. What's making me uncomfortable is her stubbornness added with arrogance, a very deadly combination. She is a good person, with good skill and good intention, but I believed she is temporary poisoned. I hope she can work out from this loop and became a much stronger team player and leader as well. Potential she has, but arrogance leads to the dark side.

PS: We like people who intelligently challenge us, as they intrigued us. At the same time, we weight more on character rather than skill. So, we need intelligent soul with good character who speak up.