It should be obvious that we hire people that make our companies better. Nobody actively searches out employees that don’t bring something positive to the company. This is true at all levels, from the starter positions through to the c-suite.
Ego (not the Celestial from the MCU), which comes from the Latin, literally meaning “I”, is one’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance, and is perhaps, the single largest hindrance to effective collaboration in the business environment. Put simply, ego leads to self-sabotage, and that self-sabotage can lead to the failure to achieve business sucess.
Experts, people who have comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area, can’t really function in environments where decision making is driven by ego.
Ego driven decision making, especially from an entrenched “leader,” is one of the primary drivers of talent out of companies. Compare any company with a high-turnover rate compared to its competitors and you can be almost certain that ego is at play.
Poor working conditions, low pay, not treating workers with respect are all valid reasons for an employee to seek greener pastures, and often the impetus behind those things is ego.
Almost nothing will drive top talent and experts away from your business quicker than a manager who operates from ego.
Pay cannot compensate the creative or the expert who has the expertise and the practical experience to discern when a campaign, decision, or project isn’t going to work, but is overridden because someone else has decided “this is what we are doing.”
Experts, creatives, and top talent will always seek other places to work if they are not empowered to do what they are literally paid to do.
So, how do you stop ego from negatively impacting your business?
First, I would suggest that you try to recognize and remedy it within yourself.
If you are indeed the problem and therapy or coaching is too much work, or the idea that you are at fault is too painful to admit, then make an ego driven business solution: I want to make more money, and my company will run more smoothly and more effectively if I step away and appoint someone else to run it.
If the problem is people subordinate to you, you could try to get them to attend coaching (which may or may not work), but I would simply hire someone better suited to do the job. It’s not mean; it’s business. It’s in your interest, your companies’ interest, and your employee’s interest. Let’s be honest, you wouldn’t keep a bald tire on your car while you change the others simply because it’s been there the longest.
Recognize those you need to make your company succeed, and recognize those that succeed. Then let them know that you appreciate them and empower them to do what they do best.
If you are employed at a business where your “superiors” operate on ego, I would recommend shopping your resume around straight away. Talk to your managers and direct reports and see if they listen and enact any positive change.
If nothing changes, run for the hills. You have one life to live, and there is no value in “sticking it out” at a company that doesn’t respect you.
Paul O'Flaherty 