Most people have met an arrogant person at work. It is the colleague who talks over others, dismisses ideas before they are finished, and never quite manages to admit a mistake. Arrogance in the workplace is draining for everyone around it, and when it sits with someone in a position of influence, growth, productivity and creativity all start to suffer.
Most people have also met the opposite. The confident colleague knows they are good at what they do, encourages others to succeed, and is happy to say “I got that wrong.” Teams around confident people tend to become more confident and motivated themselves.
It is not only arrogance in leaders that upsets the office apple cart. Someone in a more junior role can damage morale just as easily. Knowing how to recognise arrogance, and how to respond to it calmly, makes a real difference to how well a team works together.
What Arrogance in the Workplace Really Looks Like
Arrogance and confidence can look similar at first glance, but they come from opposite ends of the self-worth spectrum. Arrogance is a show of superiority, yet its source is often insecurity. That can seem like a paradox. How can someone who constantly talks about how good they are be short on self-belief? Looking at the behaviour makes it clearer.
An arrogant person cares a great deal about how others see them, which leads to boasting and a constant need for validation. They often put others down to feel better about themselves, treating a colleague’s success as a threat to their own standing. They tend to resist change because new ideas can expose their weaknesses, and they find it very hard to own mistakes, so blame gets passed elsewhere.
A confident person works from a steadier place. They do not need everyone’s approval, they enjoy seeing others do well, and they accept that colleagues will be better than them at some things. Mistakes are part of learning rather than a verdict on their worth.
This matters when deciding how to respond. Arrogance that comes from insecurity usually hardens under direct attack and softens when the person feels less threatened.
It is also worth a moment of honesty. Most people have shown arrogance at some point, often picked up from a past manager. If some of this sounds uncomfortably familiar, our article on arrogance vs confidence for technical leaders looks at that side of the question.
Signs of an Arrogant Employee or Colleague
Arrogance is usually obvious to the people around it, even when the person showing it cannot see it. The clearest signs tend to appear in how someone communicates. They interrupt, dismiss colleagues’ ideas without real consideration, and talk up past achievements while talking down to others.
It also shows in how they work with people. An arrogant colleague may refuse help, take credit for team achievements, and blame others when things go wrong. Many show open impatience with anyone they see as less capable. Resistance to feedback is often the most telling sign of all, with defensiveness in place of curiosity whenever improvement is suggested.
Why It Matters for the Whole Team
The cost of arrogance in the workplace goes well beyond one difficult relationship. Arrogant people often hold a fixed view that the current way of doing things is the best way. When that view dominates, others stop suggesting ideas, psychological safety drops, and talented people start looking elsewhere.
In science and technology teams the cost can be especially high. Progress depends on people being willing to question a method, flag an unexpected result or admit that an experiment has not worked. When one person makes that feel risky, problems surface later, quieter colleagues hold back useful expertise, and the whole team learns more slowly than it should.
Left alone, the problem rarely resolves itself. CIPD research found that only around a third of employees who experienced conflict at work in the past year felt it had been fully resolved1. Unaddressed arrogance is a common source of exactly this kind of lingering tension.
How to Deal With Arrogant Colleagues
When dealing with arrogance in the workplace, direct but respectful communication usually works best. The aim is to change the behaviour, not to win the argument.
Set Clear Boundaries
Politely but firmly redirect the conversation when a colleague becomes condescending. There is no need to accept being talked over or dismissed, and calmly saying “I’d like to finish my point” often does more than a heated exchange.
Focus on Facts and Impact
Specific examples land far better than labels. “When you interrupted me three times in that meeting, the team missed important information” is much harder to argue with than “You’re being rude.”
Frame It Around the Team
Arrogant people are sensitive to anything that feels like personal criticism. Saying “The team would benefit from hearing other perspectives” tends to work better than “Stop dominating every conversation.”
Keep a Record
If the behaviour is affecting work quality, keep brief notes of what happened and when. This is not about building a case for its own sake. It simply makes it easier to have a clear conversation, or to raise the issue with a manager if that becomes necessary.
When the Arrogant Person Reports to You
Managers have more options and more responsibility. The most effective approach is specific, early feedback that focuses on the impact on the team rather than on personality. Describe the behaviour, explain its effect, agree what needs to change, and offer support such as coaching or training.
Many managers find this hard. In the same CIPD research, 38% of employers said line managers’ lack of confidence in challenging inappropriate behaviour was a barrier to resolving conflict1. Our guide to difficult conversations with employees offers a practical way into those discussions.
Arrogant behaviour can change, particularly when it stems from insecurity. Development in self-awareness, empathy and communication can help a great deal, as long as the person recognises the problem and commits to working on it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dealing With Arrogance in the Workplace
Building Better Workplace Relationships
There is a world of difference between arrogance and confidence at work. Once it becomes clear that arrogance usually comes from insecurity rather than strength, it gets easier to respond calmly, set boundaries without escalating, and help people grow into real confidence.
Dealing with arrogance in the workplace early protects the people around it, keeps ideas flowing, and gives the person showing it the best chance to change. Confident colleagues build others up, and a team that works that way is far better placed to do its best work.