Becoming a manager comes with significant responsibility and requires awareness of various factors. Developing a strong understanding of leadership is fundamental to fostering positive and constructive behavior. However, one’s own ego can become a major obstacle if the goal is to adopt a responsible management style—both in day-to-day tasks and in interactions with your team. This text aims to explore some, though not all, strategies for managing your own ego, in order to avoid the detrimental effects of an inflated sense of self or excessive use of power as a leader.
Management Models and Their Practical Application
The literature on leadership qualities offers a wide range of approaches, drawn from various contexts. Recently, models inspired by the agile framework have gained popularity, and terms like “servant leadership” are now well-known. These models share a common goal: enabling employees to take ownership of their work and development. To achieve this, managers typically rely on a leadership model that allows them to enhance their own competencies by identifying strengths and weaknesses and addressing them. This approach remains effective for competency development. However, when it comes to understanding new power and influence dynamics, training expert Hermina Ibarra advocates for an iterative “testing and learning” approach. The essence of her model is the idea that rigid power structures can only be dismantled by directly engaging with different roles, as well as the challenges and perspectives they bring.
Engaging with Different Work Realities
How can you address weaknesses in your own management style? Some may not even be obvious to you. Behaviors like micromanaging, prioritizing your own opinions over others, or dominating conversations can all be part of the issue. These behaviors can not only be mentally damaging but also risk isolating your team members, all while you pursue your own objectives.
What can help? Start with self-awareness. However, this self-awareness can only be achieved by recognizing external circumstances and understanding the perspectives of others—whether colleagues or team members. When you see yourself as part of a larger context where your actions may have unintended negative consequences, it often leads to better self-regulation.
So, what are some concrete tips and behaviors to help question or reduce the influence of your ego? One simple approach is to take on projects where you lack the necessary expertise or, conversely, where you depend on others and their knowledge. This sense of dependency, once overcome, encourages a deeper appreciation for other perspectives and fosters a habit of questioning your own. A classic example is a CEO who spends time each year working on the ground level, taking on the role of an employee to experience firsthand how things are done and to understand the challenges faced by staff. Similarly, as a manager, it can be highly beneficial to sit down with your employees and have them explain in detail what they are working on—not to evaluate their performance, but to gain insight into the problems they face and the perspectives that come from this hands-on experience.
The Importance of Adopting a Coach Mindset
A second way to achieve better self-regulation of the ego is by coaching or supervising yourself. This role is already crucial for many managers, as developing their employees requires it. However, if you haven’t yet embraced this approach, you’ll find that focusing your actions on helping and developing your team can bring significant emotional satisfaction, making your own ego and personal views seem secondary in comparison.
Leadership Values, Appreciation Beyond the Surface, and Self-Perception
A reflective exercise that can complement the previous two is to ask yourself: Which leadership values do you truly embody or aspire to embody? What kind of leader do you genuinely want to be? Are you the leader you would wish for yourself? And are you the leader that others truly need in their individual circumstances to perform well and maintain their well-being?
In general, it’s important to broaden your network so that you’re not only surrounded by people who share your opinions and perspectives. By following these simple guidelines, the first step toward putting your ego in check, or at least regulating it, is already underway. To do this, you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone. Unfortunately, some managers today struggle to do this. However, it can be incredibly empowering to discipline yourself in areas like interpersonal relationships and self-image, doing the necessary work to overcome these challenges.