Ep. 1: How heroes kill culture

In this episode, Asim Razzaq defines what is toxic heroism in the field of software engineering. Many engineers do not see this trait, and for Asim, it is important that he shows how this trait manifests and how it could affect the performance and output of a company on a long-term basis.

[01:37] Problem of Hero Hailing Engineers

[02:50] Why it gets Toxic

[03:17] Asim’s Experience

[07:18] Solution

Going Against Morale

While it is important to credit engineers for all the daily tasks and solutions they provide for companies, it is still important to check in on them and see if these little success stories aren’t going to their head. When someone is afflicted by a “toxic hero” state of mind, they’d often take shortcuts or rely on small and temporary wins, these achievements are materialized externally to a point that how they think is always right. This, in return, creates a bad environment for colleagues who may be discouraged to work as a team or craft new ideas to solutions, which may not be aligned with the aforementioned “hero's” point of view.

Taking a Step Back

When you feel like these wins are getting to your head or if you notice that your colleagues are no longer contributing ideas to your group huddles, then it is definitely time to take a self-evaluation on whether or not you are creating a toxic hero environment for your workplace. The sooner you identify these signs, the better it is to help reconnect with your team.

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