In my previous post, we began exploring managing people by using the art of inquiry. In that vein, if you’re a boss, then asking questions of the people you’re in charge of has If you’re a boss, then asking questions of the people you’re in charge of has definite advantages over telling them what to…
How can leaders and managers bring out the best in their people? With today’s interdependent work teams it’s not enough to give instructions about how to do jobs. More is required for leaders who wish to engage collaborative partnerships for high performance. “Carpenters have hammers, dentists have picks, and physicians have stethoscopes. It is hard…
I’ve been exploring what it’s like to work for a leader with a big ego. Author Ryan Holiday, in his book, Ego Is the Enemy (Penguin, 2016) makes the case for several guiding principles leaders can use in overcoming their self-importance attitudes. Every leader who’s caught in the egotist condition will need help trusting and…
Egotism in leadership can be countered. But it takes a deliberate effort on the part of leaders to refocus and see things from a wider view. Trained coaches are an excellent resource to guide leaders to a helpful perspective. In some cases, a leader can only make progress on becoming less egotistical through working with…
Leaders with big egos not only affect the people they work with, but the whole organization suffers. The larger the ego, the smaller the ability to be open to other viewpoints. This disinterest in varying perspectives impedes constructive conversation. A large ego makes it difficult for a leader to accept or learn from feedback, and…
For any leader, the risks of big ego are magnified. An inflated perception of oneself distorts reality, both inwardly and outwardly. Author Ryan Holiday, in his book, Ego Is the Enemy (Penguin, 2016), explores what drives this behavior: Egotists regard themselves as superior, set apart from everyone else. They are entitled and important simply because…
“Ego is the invisible line item on every company’s profit and loss statement.” —David Marcum and Steven Smith in egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability), Fireside, 2007 If you’ve ever worked for someone with a big ego, then you know how frustrating it can be. Nothing can be more debilitating…
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been writing about what holds managers back from using their coaching skills to guide and develop their people. Although there are a number of reasons, a main one is that they lack a way to initiate a coaching conversation with an employee. Basically, they just don’t know how to…
Recently, I’ve been exploring what holds managers back from use their coaching skills to guide and develop their people. Despite organizations investing a ton of money into coach training, there are many managers out there who just feel uncomfortable with coaching their employees. One of the major reasons for this is that some managers don’t…
Organizations want managers who are skilled in coaching their people, to develop their abilities and help them grow as individuals and workers. Unfortunately, even though most managers receive training in coaching skills, the majority of them just aren’t engaging in coaching conversations that expand their employees’ awareness, thinking, and capability. Why is this? What holds…
