Make Someone Big!

Recently, I’ve been studying and trying to define two phrases…selfish ambition and vain conceit...

Selfish Ambition - motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.  It is a self-above-others approach. It has a connotation of contentiousness.

Vain Conceit - excessive pride or self-esteem that has no foundation in reality; an elevated, inflated and incorrect sense of self.

Why are both of these so prevalent in the marketplace - specifically in leadership?

We somehow believe it's a zero-sum game out here...I need to win which means you need to lose.  We think the most influential people and the most powerful people are hierarchically "higher".

What if influence is actually hierarchically "lower"?

I think most of us would identify influential people in our lives as those who elevated us, valued us, made us feel bigger, cared about us, etc.

So - what is the opposite of selfish ambition and vain conceit?

It's humility!

It's valuing others above yourself.

It's being perceptive to the interests and needs of others.

So - you want practical...here you go...

• “seek” - before making a decision, pull a group together of various positions and levels and ask their opinion, listen and keep an open mind. Be willing to change. Seek other perspectives.
• “listen” - Regularly meet with people in your organization at all levels. Ask them what they see, what they think and what they would do differently.
• “remember” - Remember your best boss? What did they do that you loved? Do that for others.
• “make others big” - Take the opportunity to publicly encourage and acknowledge someone.
• "reinforce" - Reinforce, Recognize and Reward what you want to see Reproduced.
• “perception” - Walk around, watch, interact, you have to be present to be perceptive.
• “proximity” - be seen, be visible, eat lunch with people, sit at a table, put your desk in the middle, attend meetings where you have nothing to add, etc.
• "side seat" - Take the seat on the side, not the head.
• "trash" - Pick up trash off the floor.
• "gratitude" - Thank someone for what they do - from the facilities people "up" the hierarchy.