Ego Is Not Leadership

A lot of leaders get caught in the trap of letting their unhealthy egos dictate how they run their organizations. The problem with this approach is that it makes everyone less productive and miserable.

The main issue with ego is that it leads many people to believe they must appear strong, dominant, in control, and infallible. This creates workplaces built on the leader’s insecurities and warped self-image instead of healthy emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

A much better approach is to leave ego behind and simply be competent and have compassion toward yourself and others. Set clear expectations and guidelines, praise your staff, and step back unless they ask for your help.

The reason I know ego gets in the way of effective leadership is that, over the course of my consulting career, I’ve noticed that ego-free leaders get much more done with less effort and build much healthier organizations.

Let’s work together to foster a supportive and nurturing workplace culture in your organization.