Arrogance in the workplace is a pattern of behavior rooted in a misplaced sense of superiority. It shows up as dismissing colleagues, refusing feedback, taking credit for shared work, and treating other people as less capable or less important. Unlike healthy self-confidence, which lifts teams and invites collaboration, arrogance isolates, demoralizes, and quietly corrodes the culture around it.

Left unchecked, workplace arrogance damages morale, stalls careers, and costs organizations real money. Whether the arrogant person is a boss, a peer, or a direct report, the fallout tends to follow the same pattern: communication breaks down, good people leave, and poor decisions go unchallenged. 

This article covers the warning signs, the difference between arrogance and confidence, what the research says about the consequences, and practical strategies for dealing with arrogant people at work, whether that person is a coworker, a manager, or, occasionally, yourself.

What Is Workplace Arrogance?

Workplace arrogance is an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance, ability, or status, expressed through behavior that belittles or dismisses others. A 2024 systematic review published in the International Journal of Management Reviews analyzed 42 scholarly articles on the topic and defined it as a sense of superiority that manifests as disparaging behavior toward others, usually with damaging consequences. 

The review, led by researchers Mitchell, Boyle, and O’Gorman, found that workplace arrogance differs from related traits like narcissism and hubris in one important way: it is defined as much by the behavior others experience as by the internal mindset of the person displaying it.

Researchers at the University of Akron and Michigan State University developed the Workplace Arrogance Scale (WARS) to measure these patterns. Their research found that arrogant employees were negatively related to cognitive ability and self-esteem, meaning arrogance often masks a lack of competence rather than reflecting actual skill. Stanley Silverman, one of the lead researchers, noted that humility can be the antidote, because humble people are willing to see themselves accurately and want to know their weaknesses.

Signs of Arrogance at Work

Arrogant behavior at work is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes it hides behind charm, high performance, or positional authority. Here are specific workplace arrogance signs to watch for.

In meetings, an arrogant colleague will interrupt others, dismiss input without consideration, or redirect conversation back to their own ideas. They dominate rather than collaborate. Outside of meetings, they may refuse to respond to messages from people they consider beneath them, or they may give short, condescending replies that shut down dialogue.

When it comes to feedback, arrogant employees resist it. They become defensive, deflect blame, or frame the feedback as the other person’s misunderstanding. 

A study published in PLOS ONE surveying 1,304 participants across six experiments found that 84% of respondents reported encountering arrogant behavior at least once a month, and 46% admitted to behaving arrogantly themselves. This tells us two things: the behavior is extremely common, and many of us engage in it without fully recognizing how others perceive us.

Other signs of an arrogant person at work include taking credit for team results, refusing to share knowledge, blaming others when things go wrong, and showing visible impatience or contempt toward less experienced coworkers. The person may also display a pattern of workplace disrespect that goes beyond occasional bad days, especially toward people with less organizational power.

Arrogance vs. Confidence: What Is the Difference?

This distinction matters because the two behaviors can look similar on the surface. Both confident and arrogant people speak up, hold strong opinions, and pursue ambitious goals. The difference lies in how they treat other people while doing so.

A confident person welcomes questions and feedback because they trust their own ability to grow. They credit others. They listen before responding. They acknowledge uncertainty when they do not have the answer.

An arrogant person, by contrast, treats feedback as a personal attack. They claim credit they did not earn. They speak over others. They respond to uncertainty with bluster rather than curiosity. Their self-belief is rigid, not resilient.

The University of Akron and Michigan State University research on the Workplace Arrogance Scale found a telling correlation: arrogant employees consistently scored lower on both cognitive ability and self-esteem than their less arrogant peers.

In other words, the loudest confidence in the room is often the least earned. Genuine self-confidence does not require putting others down, because it comes from an accurate understanding of one’s strengths and limitations.

If you manage or work alongside someone who seems confident, ask yourself: does this person make others feel capable, or small? That is the dividing line between leadership behavior worth following and arrogance worth confronting.

Why Arrogance in the Workplace Is Dangerous

The costs of workplace arrogance go well beyond hurt feelings. Arrogant behavior drives measurable damage to team performance, decision quality, employee retention, and organizational culture.

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report found that global employee engagement dropped to just 21% in 2024, costing the global economy an estimated $438 billion in lost productivity. While arrogance is not the only factor behind disengagement, the report emphasized that 70% of team engagement depends on the manager. 

An arrogant manager, or one who tolerates arrogance in others, directly undermines the conditions that keep people engaged: feeling heard, feeling valued, and feeling safe enough to contribute ideas.

The Mitchell et al. 2024 systematic review found that the outcomes of workplace arrogance cluster into three categories: damage to people, damage to culture, and damage to business results. 

Arrogant leaders in particular create environments where employees suppress feedback, avoid honest reporting of problems, and quietly disengage rather than risk the consequences of speaking up. Over time, this kills psychological safety at work, which is a prerequisite for innovation and effective conflict resolution.

What HR Should Do (and Often Does Not)

Human Resources departments are supposed to intervene when behavior becomes toxic. In practice, the response is uneven. In “star cultures” found in finance, professional services, entertainment, and sports, organizations frequently protect high performers even when their arrogance is well documented. The pattern is familiar: HR attempts coaching, moves complainants to different teams, or waits for a crisis to force action.

A third of U.S. workers reported poor management and ineffective senior leadership in their organizations, according to SHRM’s 2024 research on workplace challenges. When leadership tolerates arrogance, it signals to everyone else that the behavior is acceptable, or at least survivable for those who produce results.

If you are dealing with an arrogant boss or a toxic work environment, know that HR intervention is possible but not guaranteed. Your best protection is documentation, a strong professional network, and a clear view of your own career options. We will cover specific strategies in the next section.

How to Deal with an Arrogant Coworker or Boss

Dealing with arrogant people at work requires a strategy that protects your career, your energy, and your professional reputation. Here are practical approaches that work across different situations.

• Stay professional and control your reactions. Arrogant people often provoke emotional responses, sometimes deliberately. Reacting with visible frustration or anger hands them power and makes you look like the problem. Keep your tone even. Respond to facts, not provocations. If an arrogant colleague dismisses your idea in a meeting, calmly restate your point with supporting data rather than escalating the conflict.
• Set clear boundaries. You do not have to accept condescending language or public put-downs. Saying “I am happy to discuss this, but I need the conversation to stay respectful” is a direct, professional boundary. Setting boundaries at work is not confrontational; it is a skill that protects both parties.
• Document specific incidents. Keep a record of dates, what was said, who was present, and what impact the behavior had. Documentation strengthens your position if you need to involve HR or management later. It also helps you see patterns that are easier to dismiss when they happen one at a time.
• Use empathy as a strategic tool. Research consistently shows that arrogance often correlates with low self-esteem and insecurity. This does not excuse the behavior, but understanding the root cause can help you respond with less personal anger and more emotional intelligence. Approaching the person with curiosity rather than accusation sometimes opens a door that confrontation would close.
• Build alliances. If an arrogant boss or colleague is affecting the whole team, you are probably not the only one struggling. Trusted coworkers, mentors, and your broader career support network can offer perspective, witness corroboration, and emotional support. You do not have to navigate this alone.
• Escalate when necessary. If the behavior crosses into harassment, discrimination, or repeated professional harm, escalation is appropriate. Present HR or management with your documentation, focus on the business impact (missed deadlines, lost clients, turnover risk), and request specific outcomes rather than vague promises.
• Know when to leave. Sometimes the arrogant person is protected, the culture rewards the behavior, and nothing changes despite your efforts. Recognizing that you have done everything within your control and choosing to move on is not failure. It is a form of career self-advocacy that too many people delay.

How to Give Feedback to an Arrogant Person

Whether you are a manager addressing an arrogant employee or a colleague trying to have a difficult conversation, how you deliver feedback matters more than usual with this personality type.

Focus on behavior, not labels. Saying “you are arrogant” triggers defensiveness and rarely leads anywhere productive. Instead, describe specific actions and their impact: “When you interrupted Alex three times during the presentation, the rest of the team stopped contributing ideas.” This gives the person something concrete to respond to rather than a character judgment to reject.

Choose private settings. Public correction almost always backfires with arrogant individuals, because it threatens the self-image they are working so hard to protect. A one-on-one conversation gives them the psychological space to hear what you are saying. Use active listening at work by letting them respond before you redirect to the core issue.

Be direct about consequences. If you manage an arrogant employee, be clear about what will happen if the behavior continues. Vague warnings are easy to ignore. Specific expectations with measurable outcomes create accountability at work that the person cannot rationalize away.

10 Questions to Make Sure It Is Not You

One of the most useful things you can do is turn the lens inward. Most people who display arrogant behavior do not think of themselves as arrogant. The traits are easier to see in others than in yourself. Consider these questions honestly.

1. Do I have a realistic view of my strengths and weaknesses, or do I default to assuming I am right?
2. Am I clear on how others perceive me? Have I asked for feedback recently, and did I accept it without defending myself?
3. Do I know what my blind spots are? Could I name three right now?
4. Do I surround myself with people who challenge me, or people who agree with me?
5. Do I listen to colleagues at every level, including those junior to me, with the same attention I give to senior leaders?
6. Do I ask open-ended questions that invite genuine input, or do I ask leading questions designed to confirm what I already believe?
7. Do I act on good ideas from others, or do I only move forward with my own?
8. Do I build up the people around me and share credit publicly?
9. Do I give praise regularly, including in front of others?
10. When I give critical feedback, does the other person walk away thinking “that was fair and designed to help me” or “that was about making them feel small”?

If you cannot answer “yes” to most of these, start there. Self-awareness is the first step toward the kind of humble leadership that earns trust rather than demanding compliance. Consider working with a coach or trusted mentor to close the gap between how you see yourself and how others experience you.

Whether you are managing an arrogant colleague, reporting to an arrogant boss, or questioning your own tendencies, the path forward starts with honest assessment and practical action. If workplace arrogance is affecting your career growth or your day-to-day well-being, structured support can help you regain clarity and momentum. Explore PathWise career coaching to work through your situation with a professional, or reach out to our team to discuss what support fits your needs.

Want help in addressing your career? Try listening to our Career Sessions, Career Lessons episode with Dr. Tracy Brower or Niven Postma. We can help you navigate arrogance in your work environment.