Can you remember the last time your ego got in the way of a good decision, a successful sales call, a challenging conversation with a good employee or perhaps a discussion with a spouse or child? It happens often enough that most of us certainly can.
In a recent Fast Company article by Scott Blanchard and Ken Blanchard they talk about strategies to avoid letting your ego hijack your effectiveness as a leader. It is consistent with what CEO’s in our Tucson Vistage International groups are learning from the great leadership text by Leo Thayer; Leadership: Thinking, Being, Doing. In my favorite quote from my favorite book on CEO leadership, Thayer says, “In the end it all comes down to who you are.” Not what you’ve done. Not how much you have. And not what those close to you are likely to tell you.
As the Blanchards suggest, “… that’s because the combination of false pride and self-doubt created by an overactive ego gives people a distorted image of their own importance. When that happens, people see themselves as the center of the universe and they begin to put their own agenda, safety, status, and gratification ahead of those affected by their thoughts and actions.
That’s a deadly combination in today’s business environment, where organizations need people to work together collaboratively to meet the ever increasing expectations of customers.”
Follow this link to the complete article.