I was recently at a conference listening to Rob Fraser, CEO of Outway. He talked about his lessons learned as a leader.
One of his lessons was to keep your ego in check. Ego isn’t just the kind that brags. It’s so much deeper than that, catching us off guard when we least expect it.
Ego is when we get defensive because someone challenges what we said. Ego is when we push our agenda because we’re sure it’s the best idea, and we stop listening to others’ feedback on why it won’t work. Ego is when we say we’re doing great when we’re not. Ego is when every sign shows a project isn’t working, and we keep pushing anyway because we don’t want to be proven wrong.
That last one is costly. I call it proving by staying. No matter the cost.
There’s no room for ego on a high-performing team. People need to feel safe enough to share ideas and learn from each other. Without safety, it’s hard to stay curious. Without curiosity, teams stop growing. Without growth, there’s no innovation.
Rob also said there is no endpoint. That’s one of the great things about being in business. There’s no ceiling on what’s possible.
Except ego doesn’t like waiting. Ego wants to see results right away and so we create artificial timelines that have us rushing, adding unnecessary stress, and possibly making expensive mistakes. Humility lets us set a timeline that makes sense.
Ego is not a bad thing. It’s hard to be ego-less. The key is to catch it when it pops up. Once you notice it, you have a choice in how you respond.
Most of us have our own triggers where our ego tends to pop up. Is it about being right? About your achievements? About how you look to others? The list is endless. What are your triggers?
When was the last time you caught your ego running the show? What told you something was off?