Leading With Ego Vs Humility

Leading With Ego Vs Humility

When the ego gets the upper hand in a leadership position…

…it can have devastating consequences…

 
While it’s rare to see all these play out in concert, if they do, it spells the eventual demise of any leader and organization.
 
Here’s a quick take on leading from the EGO vs. HUMILITY:
 
SELFISH vs. SELFLESSNESS
 
When the leader’s ego is the primary focus, personal interests dictate action, which can be detrimental to the team or broader organization.
 
Leading with humility means you know the team and organization will drive success, not you.
 
The focus is on what will make the organization successful, which you know ultimately translates to your success.
 
BLAMES vs. PRAISES
 
Excessive ego often means not taking responsibility for what’s going on & pointing fingers instead.
 
Great leaders ultimately take accountability for an organization’s results and praise efforts to move the organization in the right direction.
 
IGNORES vs. LISTENS
 
An ego-driven leader will speak to assert their own opinion. They often don’t listen because they are right in any case. This drives tunnel vision and ultimately makes it impossible to succeed, given the complex environment we operate in.
 
Leaders with humility listen and seek to understand what is happening in the world around them.
 
DISCONNECTS vs. CONNECTS
 
Disconnection from others is a natural consequence of excessive ego. People may listen to the leader if they must, but not because they want to. They will actively disengage from such a leader at every opportunity.
 
On the other hand, if you are humble, you set the foundation for connecting with others – because you will show a natural inclination and interest in their views and opinions.
 
EXPLOITS vs. GROWS
 
Ego-driven leaders will tend to exploit people.

The opposite is to grow individuals in a way that resonates with their goals and ambitions. This is fundamental to building sustained performance and engagement.
 
UNREALISTIC vs. REALISTIC
 
Ego-leaders will develop a distorted sense of reality since they are not listening to what the world tells them. They also tend to overestimate their capacity and surround themselves with yes-sayers.
 
Humble leaders do the opposite—they surround themselves with exceptional and complementary people who will be able to take over the leadership role when the time is right.