We all have egos, even those of us that swear we don’t (those people are probably the worst offenders). So, is ego good for you or does it get in your way of good decision making? Here are some EGO tips to help you succeed:
If you define your ego as confidence, then it’s probably a good thing, right? You need to have confidence to make decisions in the first place, ergo the ego benefit. But can you have too much confidence? If you think you already know everything, then you may be missing out on better ideas, processes and input from others. If that’s the case, maybe confidence should be refocused on your ability to make decisions, not the decision itself? Think about it. If you hone in on the process of decision making and continually open yourself to more information, seek out better data, challenge your own perspective and those of others, you should have even more confidence in your ability to see the big picture and make sound decisions. Your ego becomes a jumping board to big ideas while limiting risk. That’s something to be confident about!
Now, how many of you actually focus on this part of your ego when making decisions. I would venture to guess it’s a small percentage…maybe that’s MY ego talking. For the most part I have been witness to the not so professionally developed side of the ego throughout my career. The side that raises blood pressure during meetings, causes finger pounding email attacks and slows down, or, I’ll dare say it, hinders, the processes of good decision-making. Not my ego of course, but those of my colleagues and my employees.
Ego is a great success tool if channeled for good. Here are three simple tips to channel your ego to build your confidence and good decisions.
EGO Tip #1) Take a deep breath and play devil’s advocate.
Take other perspectives into consideration and make sure you are looking at the situation from all sides. If a third party would intervene, would they come up with the same solution as you?
EGO Tip #2) Never act based on someone’s word.
Talk to people, do your research, and gather information before you make any judgment. The person coming to you with information (no matter who they are) may have been using ego for bad. You must determine what the unbiased truth is. Call people out on it and try to teach them these principles.
EGO Tip #3) Always keep an open mind.
Once you have done the research to make a confident decision, be open to more information coming in. As long as you know that continuous improvement applies to everything, even your past decisions, your flexibility will give you an edge at work, in your personal life, and in the changing marketplace.
Remember, it’s not about YOU being right...It’s about You harnessing the power of your ego.
I hope you find these EGO Tips to be a useful perspective, and encourage you to implement it in both your work and personal life. Test out these concepts and share your results with us. Others can benefit from your experiences. Good luck!
Written by Lisa Woods, President ManagingAmericans.com
Lisa is a successful entrepreneur, world-class marketing strategist, and dynamic business leader with more than 20 years experience leading, managing and driving growth. Throughout her career, Lisa has been influential in integration techniques, organizational and cultural overhauls, financial turnarounds and developing employees into exceptional leaders, results driven managers and passionate team contributors.
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