[tqi]

This is a nice parable, but in my experience, people who see their self-image reflected in this story can be just as difficult to work with. They often view themselves as smart and quietly capable, the unsung heroes keeping things running with little compensation and even less credit, while perceiving incompetence and unworthiness in everyone around them.

These individuals may think of themselves as “nice guys,” but their unwavering confidence in their own infallibility blinds them to the distinction between doing things wrong and doing things differently. They dismiss documentation, consensus building, and communication with non-technical colleagues as wastes of time—then wonder why their accomplishments go unrecognized or unappreciated.