Is Ego Getting You into Hot Water?

Last weekend, I watched the movie Ford vs. Ferrari.  Now I won’t ruin it by giving away the whole story.  You really should watch this one.  You will however see how ego almost ruined Ford’s chance of developing an iconic race car.

Then, last night I watched The Poseidon Adventure on Turner Classic Movies.  I remember seeing this as a kid back in 1972 but now with my older eyes, it was ironic that the hero of the movie was a little kid, who, through his insatiable curiosity, knew the best place for the passengers to get to in order to be rescued.  This despite Ernest Borgnine’s character continually berating his suggestions.  Ego almost doomed the passengers of the SS Poseidon.

The challenge of expertise is not just attaining it, but learning how NOT to blindly rely on it.  Expertise leads to confidence, and sometimes confidence leads to arrogance.  That’s dangerous.

I’ve fallen into the trap numerous times.  I’ve made it very clear to my team, Lisa Young and Rachel Wolohan that they have free reign to call me out if I start making dumb moves.  And they do.  And sometimes it hurts.  Sometimes I ask myself “who’s the boss, me or them?”   But a boss isn’t worth anything if ego and arrogance causes them to make dumb decisions.

This week, reflect on how often your ego gets you into trouble.  Trust me, it happens a lot more than you think.  Awareness is key if you want to prevent it.