Is your leadership confidence turning into arrogance?

With great power comes great responsibility, said Spider-Man's Uncle Ben (others may have said it, too, but allow me to quote Ben Parker for his, er, mass appeal). But power also comes with a bit - or a lot, depending on the personality of the person concerned - of arrogance. You could call it leadership confidence, but only a true leader knows when and how not to cross that thin line between confidence and arrogance.
Leadership, by definition, comes with an obligation to get the job done. That 'job' could be anything from winning a war to getting enough burgers flipped during lunch time, but it entails the leader using his powers. These powers - of motivation, communication, empathy and vision, among other leadership skills - are buttressed by the influence that a leader has on the lives and/or careers of his aides. As part of that role, leaders need to evince faith in their ability to lead - meaning they need to demonstrate that they know what they're talking about. A soldier needs to have faith in the abilities of the general who's asking him to advance despite the heavy shelling. The chef being egged on to flip burgers faster needs to have the confidence that the floor manager is aware of how long the burger needs to be grilled before being flipped.
But in their quest to assure their audience that they know it, leaders run the risk of appearing know-it-all. An exaggerated show of confidence becomes arrogance. If you're a leader at any level in your organisation, you must watch out for signs of such arrogance and keep your ears to the ground for feedback. While you must appear confident, you must not be cocky. Share your mistakes with your team and let them know that you're human - but have learnt from your failures. Surround yourself with domain experts - people smarter than you to do those specific jobs, who can suggest how things can be done better. Don't lose touch with the shop floor, whatever line of business you may be in and however busy you might be. And always remember that a leader's primary role is to serve others, and a little humility never hurt anyone.