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Best leaders are genuinely happy when surpassed by former subordinates; this…

2026-04-12 · 18:48 UTC ·@edsuh ·1 min read

Brief

Best leaders are genuinely happy when former subordinates surpass them, a trait the author (@edsuh, 2026-04-12) calls rooted in humility, self-confidence and 'borderline altruism.' Those who can't accept it often engage in gatekeeping and sabotage, harming themselves and their firms. Top organizations proactively hire, mentor, and expect apprentices to eclipse their mentors — 'A players hire A players.'

Why it matters

Best leaders are genuinely happy when surpassed by former subordinates; this requires humility, self-confidence, and 'borderline altruism' (author: @edsuh, 2026-04-12).

Key details

  • Leaders who can't cope with being surpassed often respond with gatekeeping and sabotaging behaviors, causing collateral damage to themselves and their firms.
  • Top leaders and firms proactively hire, support, and build future leaders, expecting apprentices to become masters — summarized as 'A players hire A players while B players hire C players.'
Source evidence

A hallmark character trait of the best leaders is being genuinely happy when they're surpassed by former subordinates.

It takes an enormous amount of humility, self confidence, & borderline altruism. It goes against human nature, which is naturally hierarchical & ego driven. I've seen many high performing people who are unable to cope when this happens and devolve into destructive behavior: gate keeping, sabotaging, behaviors that leave behind collateral damage to themselves and often their entire firms.

The best leaders, and by extension the best firms, are those who proactively hire, support, and build up their future leaders. They expect their apprentices to become their masters someday, to be better than they were in every way. Akin to an extreme version of "A players hire A players while B players hire C players".