Ego: The Silent Saboteur
Ego has a way of whispering lies that sound like truths. It tells you you're always right. That asking for help shows weakness. That admitting a mistake makes you look incompetent. It convinces you that if you don’t have the final word, you’ve somehow lost control.
But here’s the truth: Ego is a terrible business partner. It doesn’t care about growth, results, or people. It only cares about being right.
I’ve seen it firsthand. Talented leaders who couldn’t delegate because they thought no one else could do the job “right.” General Managers who shut down suggestions during team meetings with a smile that said, “Thanks, but I’ve already made my decision.” Department heads who rewrote every schedule themselves because they didn’t trust a supervisor to get it right.
And guess what? Those people burned out. Or worse, they drove away great team members who were ready to grow but didn’t want to compete with their manager’s pride.
So, what exactly does ego do to a team?
It shuts down collaboration. People stop offering ideas when they know they’ll be ignored or overruled.
It kills initiative. If nothing is ever “good enough” for the leader, eventually people stop trying.
It creates fear. When people are afraid to challenge a decision, even respectfully, the organization stops evolving.
It isolates the leader. Ego might make you feel powerful, but it quietly pushes people away.
Ego doesn’t show up with a name tag.
It disguises itself as confidence. As “high standards.” As “protecting the brand.” But there’s a big difference between protecting excellence and protecting your own need to be the smartest person in the room.
What do great leaders do instead?
They get out of their own way. They build trust and credibility by doing these things consistently:
They admit when they’re wrong and don’t follow it with an excuse.
They ask for feedback from their teams, their peers, and yes, even from junior employees.
They create space for others to lead, even if the outcome isn’t exactly how they would have done it.
They focus on the mission, not their ego. Progress over pride. Always.
There was a time I had to admit to an owner that a pricing strategy I supported fell flat. Not only did I own it, but I sat down with my team and asked for their ideas on how to recover. We did better than recover. We outperformed the quarter’s projections, but only because I got out of the way and let others step in.
When you lead without ego, you don’t shrink. You expand. Your team grows. Morale improves. People feel seen. And that’s where the real magic starts.
Ego is easy. Humility is harder. But humility gets you results and keeps your team with you long after the crisis ends or the quarter closes.
So, ask yourself: Are you leading for impact? Or are you leading to be right?
Because when the mission matters more than your pride, everything changes.
#LeadWithoutEgo #PeopleOverPride #LeadershipWithHumility #BuildBetterTeams