Inflated self-image as an obstacle to improvements in productivity

According to Robert H. Frank and Philip J. Cook, The Winner-Take-All Society (Penguin Books 1995) at 8, at least 80 percent of us “think of ourselves as more productive than the average worker.” The authors cite studies to support this statement.

If levels of excess self-esteem like that hold true among in-house counsel, if nearly all of them regard themselves as very hard working compared to their peers, it is no wonder that even dogged efforts to improve the way things are done soon founder. Why would a lawyer who is already an exemplary worker-bee venture improvement or even pay much heed to misguided efforts to ratchet up productivity (See my post of Aug.18, 2006 about super lawyers being much more productive; June 30, 2007 about narcissism.)?