The Unfair Advantage of Ego-less Management

In a world where businesses are constantly trying to one-up the competition, it’s easy to get caught up in the race to be the best. But what if the key to success wasn’t about being the best, but about being ego-less?

What is Ego-less Management

We typically think of an ego as extreme confidence or arrogance. While it can mean these things, it can also represent our own self-imposted limited thinking.

Ego-less management is a style of leadership that focuses on letting go of self-imposed limitations, surrounding yourself with complimentary talent, and encouraging collective success.

Mature leaders understand that succeeding through others is a mark of true success. They also realize the value of hiring people with talents, thinking, and abilities that exceed their own.

Ego-less managers create environments where feedback and helpful criticism are neutralized and can be received with openness, curiosity, and even excitement.?

Feedback becomes a way to improve, and look at things objectively. Team members can more clearly see the big picture and make decisions based on what is best for the team, rather than what is best for themselves.

The Advantages of Ego-less Management

Ego-less management makes it easier to build trust and respect among team members. This creates a more positive work environment and allows the team to be more productive. This type of management is often seen as more effective, as it allows for more objective decision-making.?This yields a number of advantages including:

• improved decision-making
• increased creativity
• greater team cohesion

If you’re looking for a way to give your business an unfair advantage, then ego-less management is definitely worth considering.

How to Implement Ego-less Management

The first step is to implement this principle in your own life. Start with knowing that you are not your ego. Our ego is who we perceive ourselves to be. It is constructed over a lifetime of stories, rules, ideas, thoughts, and messages we received about ourselves.?

Secondly, we can begin to examine our own habitual self-perceptions. We unconsciously tell ourselves a story, and when you can recognize what that story is, you can begin to change it.

Perhaps you think, "I'm not approachable" or "I'm a pushover". Are these things true? Take notice and get curious.

Ask yourself:?

• Who do I believe I am, and what do I think I am capable of??
• Is this true? Can I know it is true??

As you begin to loosen your grip on who you believe you are, you can reconstruct new ideas about what is possible for you. Knowing how you perceive you can make it easier to hear feedback from others.?How others perceive you becomes really interesting and helpful feedback. It doesn't always feel great, but it does help you exercise the muscle of being ego-less and open to new ways of doing things.?

Lastly, as you implement this in your life, teach those around you what you're doing and learning. Setting an example for others is the best way to lead.?As you do this will lead to greater levels of trust, creativity, openness, and imaging what is possible.

For more advice on how to be happier and build a high-performance organization, check out the One People One Planet book on Amazon.

Michael Glauser is an entrepreneur, business consultant, and university professor. He has built successful companies in the retail, wholesale, and educational industries and has worked with hundreds of businesses—from startups to multinational enterprises—in leadership development, communication, team building, and organizational strategy.

Today, Mike serves as Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. He’s also the Director of the SEED self-sufficiency program, helping people around the world to improve their standard of living and benefit their communities through entrepreneurship.