Ego

I watched a talented swimmer before and after a significant race and one word came to mind. Ego. Prior to the race he was taunting the crowd to cheer as he attempted, so he let everyone know ahead of time, a shot at a national record. After the race, which he easily won, the announcer called him to the award stand and with both thumbs extended he motioned for everyone else to get in line behind him. Ego. Few like him. He's not going far. His ego has derailed his potential.


In Jim Collins' great book, Good to Great, he identifies humility as a key component to successful leadership. 


I wrote about humility in an earlier post about Rescue Your Love Life, a book by my summer companion, Henry Could and his co-author, John Townsend. Here's a piece of it:

"Humility is the capacity to experience the reality of who you are. A humble person is one who has no grandiose illusions of herself in either direction - good or bad, strong or weak." (p. 185)

There are many more quotes and sentences to be captured. It was a good book, eye-opening. The way Cloud and Townsend phrase things brings new light on familiar topics. I may have liked the "humility" definition the best of all. Being ok with who I am, owning my strengths and weaknesses, is where true humility is seen. A humble person doesn't try to hide or cover over where they've gone wrong or made mistakes. Humble people, the authors say, take the initiative to admit what they've done before their mate finds out eventually anyway. 

I'm starting a book titled "egonomics: what makes ego our greatest asset (or most expensive liability)". Reaching the next level of leadership (an unplanned common theme in the books I've been reading) takes a balance of ego and humility, say the authors. It's easy to spot an ego out of control. A casual observation of extinct companies, cooked books, and executive pay all point to something amiss. Ego is destructive when it's out of control.

Scripture is clear that humility is a hallmark of a Christ-follower.

Psalm 147:6 "The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground."

Humility doesn't mean doormat or weak but rather right perspective on yourself and your place in the universe. God seems to rank humility at the top of His list.


Matthew 23:12 "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."


So I'm intrigued by this book before I begin. An excellent leader from whom I would benefit more if he was in town more said once: "I'm arrogant enough to think I can run any company." And he could. Yet I would describe him as humble and willing to serve. So there is a combination that creates a balance. Tip it too far one way and it'll either stop you or you won't ever get started.


Where do you find your ego has gotten in the way? Thinking you know more or better than others is not a good place to start. As I've been coached by many - move from the low road up and you'll go further than trying to start on the high road.