Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute is a business fable that illustrates the ways that self-deception can undermine interpersonal relationships and productivity. It begins with a new product-line lead employee, Tom Callum, at the fictional Zagrum Company. He's meeting with the company's executive vice president, Bud Jefferson. Bud says that Tom has a problem with self-deception, as they all do, and begins a long meeting to mentor Tom on how to avoid self-deception. Kate Stenarude, president of Zagrum Company, joins Bud and Tom for the meeting and contributes her experiences.

Self-deception occurs when people look at another person as an objectified problem or threat rather than as a human being. The deception begins when they feel the urge to help another person, but betray that sense and instead justify the decision not to help by amplifying both their own virtues and the other person's perceived faults.

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