Ego-Driven Failure of Leadership

Jim Collins, while discussing successful Level 5 leadership in his groundbreaking Good to Great book, said, “Level 5 leaders display a compelling modesty, are self-effacing and understated.? In contrast, two thirds of the comparison companies had leaders with gargantuan personal egos that contributed to the demise or continued mediocrity of the company.”? In wondering why, here are a few of my observations:

·??Ego-centric individuals are all about themselves.? As such, they have difficulty creating relationships with subordinate leaders and followers that sustain the efforts of an organization.? While they may drive results by their force of will in the short-term, they often create resentments and divisions that harm the organization over the long haul.

·??Ego-centric leaders think they have all the answers which makes it hard for them to listen to other opinions or to become educated beyond their own pre-conceived notions.? A lack of understanding of the true situation drastically hampers their chance for success.

·??Ego-centric people tend to attract and retain ‘Yes People’ while driving away ‘A’ Players.? Strong subordinates expect to participate and be heard and will not long stay in a job where they are not given an opportunity to participate in decisions or make a difference.? As pointed out in Good to Great, when the ego-centric leader departs, there is not a strong successor waiting in the wings or any depth of talent in the senior management ranks.

·??Ego-centric leaders want all the credit for success and are more likely to blame others for failures.? Followers are quick to grasp this selfish behavior and have little respect for or desire to support such a leader.? Without the willing involvement of followers, no endeavor will succeed for long.

·??Ego-centric people want to be star players and do not build teams.? In this modern age, worthwhile enterprises and endeavors are far too complex for any one person to completely grasp.? Success can only come by assembling a team of talented individuals who understand all the relevant disciplines and can implement them effectively.?

·??Ego-centric leaders are incapable of empowering others.? It’s just not part of their makeup to care enough about others to make the effort on their behalf.?? Without empowered employees at all levels of the organization, problems will abound.

While an ego-driven leader can achieve spectacular success by will and personality, he will never become a ‘great’ leader as suggested by Andrew Carnegie when he said, “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it,” and will never build the enduring greatness of a Level 5 leader as posited by Jim Collins.

Given all the downsides inherent in poor leadership, why wouldn’t you make the effort to provide a consistent application and example of Service-Based Leadership in your operation?? See Service-Based Leadership Transforms Your Operation for a fuller description of this powerful and essential style of leadership for the service industry.

For more useful ideas and information, check out the wide range of highly integrated and widely acclaimed Professional Development, Operational, and Training Resources at the PCPM Marketplace Store .