Managers: Banish Your EgoMaster with these 9 Principles

Goodbye Ego

Are you a manager who may not realize your Ego is in control? Here are some suggestions on how to check your Ego at the door and say goodbye to the EgoMaster:

1)  Don’t brag. Boasting about one’s achievements or taking credit for accomplishments as if they are yours alone is a mistake. It’s fine to list your wins, but give credit where it is due. Share results with your team or direct reports when they do something right. Be the manager who wants the team to succeed. You’ll start to notice how moral and initiatives increase.  

2)  Assign ownership. Giving employees the command to drive a particular project or feature empowers them. They have more at stake; they have a vested interest, and actually care about the results. What could be better than an employee who has clear focus on their objective and who is eager to see successful results? Their enthusiasm is contagious, your office runs smoother, and you don’t have to micromanage.  

3)  Know your people. How much do you really know about your employees? How many family members do they have? How do they spend their weekends, what are their career goals, how can you help? Building a connection with your employees fosters respect on both sides. If they know you care about them as a person, they will be equally sure you value them as an employee.

4)  Make Eye Contact. Treat everyone like they are your equals, from the receptionist to the janitor. Look them in the eye. When you share an elevator, get to know whom you’re sharing it with. Introduce yourself to those who don’t know you, not so they know who YOU are, but so you know who THEY are. Nothing creates value between people like giving a damn.

5)  Give Constructive Critiques. In art school I learned a valuable technique for critiquing classmates’ artwork. It’s a strategy that spilled into my professional roles as Art Director and Teacher. When reviewing performance and results, first list all the positives. Mention the employees’ strengths, talents, and good decisions they’ve made en route to the finished product. Once that feedback is shared and received, only then do you move into the areas needing improvement. Notice I didn’t say “negative areas.” Instead, I highlighted them as areas to improve. Having a reason for improving a skill makes it easier for employees to want it. You’ve positioned improvement as an opportunity to be excited about, instead of a hit list of screw-ups or fails.

6)  Catch them doing something right – On a regular basis, notice when an employee is producing results and tell them so. “Nice presentation, Joe” or “Thanks for handling that this morning.” Doing this increases credit to your employees, which means better performance and good karma across the team.

7)  Earn respect and loyalty. Don’t expect loyalty as a default.  Treat employees with consideration and their respect for you will strengthen. Your groups naturally align behind a common goal, which you support. They will believe in you as Manager – not begrudge you as they did the EgoMaster.

8)  Don’t keep secrets. Teach, disseminate knowledge, and create an archive of what your team has produced and how they did it. Have team leaders share the results in a knowledge hub that all departments may access. You are not shouting from the rooftops that your team is the best, but you are validating that their accomplishments are valuable and are worthy to share with future teams. Having a team legacy is a great way to grow pride in future endeavors.

9)  “Lighten Up, Frances.” Let’s face it folks, most of us need some levity in our lives. We aren’t performing brain surgery (at least not most of us) and as such we should lighten up a bit. The world will go on if we aren’t perfect one day. Although we place great import on our projects, take a breath regularly to see the big picture.

Egoless Leadership         

How we treat each other is the most important thing in our short time as humans. How many of us can actually say we made a difference in the lives of our coworkers? Yes, we can all be teammates, we can bond and share some laughs OR we can be arrogant and disrespectful, confident in our stance to be right or appear powerful. Everything we say and do - or don't do - has a consequence.

If you as a Manager face the adversity of your own Ego, or if you as an employee are oppressed by the enormity of your Manager’s Ego, there are solutions.

EgoMasters (or should I say Managers?), realize we all bring something to the table to serve a higher power, produce a worthwhile project and make meaningful partnerships. Mutual respect allows us to enjoy self-esteem, increase our enthusiasm and make living joyful. Say goodbye to your Ego to make room for Modesty. Practice forbearance and humility. Be constructive in your criticism and course-correct where necessary. Always show respect for others and take time to acknowledge them. The health of your peers, your direct reports, and your team will benefit. The sense of personal gratitude you gain will be bigger than any your EgoMaster can give you, and the good habits formed will follow you in other professional endeavors.