Ego – The Destruction of Responsible Leadership

I recently completed a People and Culture review with a growing entrepreneurial business. One of the most enlightening feedback themes was that the main reason they have a flourishing culture was down to the fact that there are no egos in the business.

This got me reflecting on the memorable leaders I have worked with and for throughout my career. My best learnings have not only come from the good and the great but from the bad and the dreadful too. This latter leadership category, without doubt, contained one consistent key characteristic, namely inflated and unchecked egos.

A leadership position comes with significant status, power and influence which affords us the privilege to enable personal and organisational health. Leaders with bloated egos corrupt our behaviours, narrow our vision, destroy psychological safety and therefore stifle diverse thinking.

Ego-driven leaders create an echo chamber effect where they will only encounter opinions, thoughts and ideas that reflect and reinforce that of their own, generating collective blindness. Whilst this not only leads to an exaggerated sense of self-importance, known as the hubris effect, it also erodes credibility, drives a culture of inauthentic ego tickling and constrained and contained Thought-Leadership.

Managing our ego’s craving for fame, fortune and influence is the prime responsibility of any responsible leader. By avoiding the pitfalls of ego-driven leadership, we can lead more effectively and create healthier big thinking organisations.

The Ego Health Check:

1. Don’t confuse confidence with arrogance.

2. Don’t monopolise ideas, maximise the wisdom of the crowd.

3. Create an environment where there is a tolerance for failure but build resilience for dealing with it.

4. Demonstrate humility when evaluating and setting direction but show conviction when executing.

5. Continue to develop emotional and social intelligence whilst consciously and consistently enabling psychological safety.

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The article was written by Clyde Marwick, People Director