Why Ego Kills Marketing Progress, Risking Companies?

In the opening scene of Collateral Beauty , Will Smith, the CEO of a New York-based advertising agency, is tasked with delivering an inspirational speech to his employees in an all-hands meeting.

He asks his employees, "What is your why?" He recapitulates, "Love. Time. Death." We long for love. We wish we had more time. And we all fear death.

Three years later, the swag is gone. He has lost his purpose.

He has lost his 6-year-old daughter from a rare form of cancer, his wife has left, and he is virtually catatonic. He spends his time in the office creating expansive domino constructs.

Whether pursuing a career or building a business, you need to have your fundamentals in place.

The fundamentals are mostly why you do the things you do.

Fundamentals also draw inspiration from your core values as a person or organization.

Most brands and individuals have their fundamentals in place, yet we don't trust them. Perhaps the problem is professionalism.

Most brands seem to have high standards. And most bosses seem to be professionally qualified, at least on paper.

Brands warble on about purpose, yet Mondelez sues an influencer for revealing Bournvita's sugar content , and a health influencer loses his X account for questioning drug efficacy from a pharma brand.

The trust problem of our times is Ego. Ego kills purpose.

Ego: It's Bad for Marketing and Your Business

In 2013, BlackBerry disclosed a $4.4 billion loss for its third-quarter sales. The company had spent six years developing and launching a more affordable phone with apps and a robust operating system.

However, during this time, Apple and Android devices surged ahead, gaining considerable market share.

A BlackBerry insider remarked, “The problem wasn’t that we stopped listening to customers. We believed we knew better what customers needed long term than they did.”

Most companies don't hire professionals to understand their consumer base, letting ego cloud their judgment. Leaders presume they know better than their customers what they want.

The issue extends beyond products; it's evident in marketing too.

Consider the recent bus hoarding from Indira Foods, taken down for sexism after social media backlash. Both the brand and the advertising agency presumed it appropriate, unaware of the potential offense.

However, a simple litmus test with a few customers could have revealed its ineffectiveness. So, what hindered the brand from conducting such a test?

When we determine what's suitable for potential customers without seeking their input, we lose sight of our purpose. The problem is very deep-rooted and you see this playing out again and again.

Authors Brandon Black and Shayne Hughes, in "Ego Free Leadership ," researched how companies often prioritize their expertise over customer preferences.

Hughes recounts collaborating with a CEO "who was frustrated by the inability to recruit strong senior leaders.

He recognized that his ego desired to be the person with all the answers, leading him to avoid hiring anyone smarter than himself."

So what causes a leader to have an ego?

Senior positions always come with the risk of insularity. The higher a leader rises in his ranks, the more they are at risk of getting an inflated ego.

As the ego grows, the more you are at risk of losing touch with your colleagues, the culture, and ultimately the clients.

Ego makes people with power susceptible to manipulation: it narrows their field of vision, corrupts their behavior and often causes them to act against their values. As a leader with an inflated ego, you will always look for information that confirms what you want to believe.

Perhaps leaders who let go of their egos know what it takes to be grounded.

When Cees 't Hart , the former CEO of Carlsberg Group was appointed to his role, he was given access to a key card that locked out all the other floors for the elevator so that he could go directly to his corner office on the 20th floor.

During the first two months into his role, he realized he saw very few people throughout the day since the elevator wouldn't stop at other floors. He subsequently decided to relocate to an open desk on a lower floor.

Cess explains his rationale behind the move by stating the following:

“If I don’t meet people,?I won’t get to know what they think. And if I don’t have a finger on the pulse of the organization, I can’t lead effectively.”

Great leaders understand the risk of insularity, they realize that keeping an open dialogue with stakeholders is the easiest way to be grounded as a leader.

To let go of your ego you have to surround yourself with people who won't feed your ego. Let go of some of the perks of your job unless they help you do your job effectively.

Make a list of people every week who helped you do your job well. This will help you as a leader to see how you are not the only cause of your success. Send a message of gratitude to the ones who did.

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