Tackling the Myth of the Self-Made Man

Over recent months people in both the UK and U.S. have become familiar with the rhetoric that their countries can become “great” again if only they reset their relationships with their neighbours and negotiate a better deal. In a speech following the UK’s recent referendum result in favour of Brexit, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke with typical bombast about America achieving “economic independence”, lamenting that it is currently “more dependent on other countries than ever before.”

Thankfully, however, this post isn't about Trump or Brexit. (I think that I speak for many of my fellow countrymen and women when I say that I’m suffering from some sort of Brexit fatigue). That said, the nature and tone of some of the Trump and Brexiter rhetoric has reminded me of a myth that's worth tackling every now and again; the myth of the self-made man.

In his Slate article, The Self-Made Man: The story of America’s most pliable, pernicious, irrepressible myth., John Swansburg notes that, “[the] phrase’s first known usage comes from a sarcastic 1834 account of a crackpot inventor’s attempt to build a perpetual motion machine.” The idea of the self-made man has certainly picked up momentum since the nineteenth century. The Oxford Dictionary defines self-made as, "Having become successful or rich by one’s own efforts".

Yet who has ever become successful or rich by their own efforts alone? Really? Regardless of one’s political leanings and thoughts on the remainder of the speech, there can be little disagreement with President Obama’s assertion that, “if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own”. When he then lists some of the huge infrastructure factors that American businesses benefit from, such as roads and the internet, the case is closed. Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk puts it a little more bluntly when he states that those who have been born in America have “won the Lotto”.

At this point, I ought to insert an important caveat: I believe strongly in the power of hard work; that through hard work and commitment people can achieve great things. I love the Rocky films as much as the next man. But even the Rocky films don’t lead one to believe that he did it completely on his own. There is a clear distinction between recognising and appreciating an individual’s success and believing that he or she did it on their own.

HBR’s article The 15 Diseases of Leadership, According to Pope Francis is salient. One of the diseases identified by the Pope is what he refers to as “leadership Alzheimer’s disease”:

“It consists in losing the memory of those who nurtured, mentored and supported us in our own journeys. We see this in those who have lost the memory of their encounters with the great leaders who inspired them; in those who are completely caught up in the present moment, in their passions, whims and obsessions; in those who build walls and routines around themselves, and thus become more and more the slaves of idols carved by their own hands.”

Of course, there is a price to pay for this. Leaders set the tone within their organisations, playing a large role in influencing culture, while team members, by definition, have teammates with whom they need to work and collaborate in order to achieve collective goals and objectives. Hubris and ego damage, if not destroy, trust, which is the juice that keeps everything moving. Fundamentally, trust is our only real currency of value.

As Stephen M. R. Covey and Rebecca R. Merrill put it in The Speed of Trust:

“By giving credit, you not only affirm the value of an individual’s contribution, you also create an environment in which people feel encouraged to be innovative and collaborative and to freely share ideas, kicking in the geometric trust multiplier.”

The world is more interdependent and fast-paced than ever before in history. That will not change. Pulling up the drawbridge and seeking to rely solely on our own efforts is not a viable option, regardless of political rhetoric and government policy. 

A Closing Thought

In order to “walk the talk” of this post, I wrote a list of teachers and mentors, in a variety of forms, who have helped me on my journey so far. It’s a longer list than I initially thought it would be, and a good reminder that whatever I achieve in life I will never claim to be a self-made man.

Further Listening...

This article came to the attention of Matt Townsend, one of America's top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development. Matt hosts his own show on BYU Radio and invited me on for a live interview to discuss the ideas herein. You can listen to a recording of my interview with Matt through this link.

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I’m here to share things that I’ve learned and ideas that I’ve developed. I'd be interested in your thoughts. If you’ve found any of what I've shared useful, or know anyone who may find it useful, then please pass it on.