When you look at Self-Esteem vs. Ego in terms of leadership, it really comes down to one thing. Why is leadership so important? Because the success of a person or company ultimately boils down to that leader and their ability to lead.
How many times have you heard a manager say, “We don’t need to worry about the competition, we just need to worry about our customers.” That is a leadership quote because it demonstrates the importance of the person talking those words rather than focusing on the competition. In order to be a great leader, you must understand how to effectively lead others by first believing in themselves – which is much more positive and constructive than focusing on the competition.
One of the biggest reasons I hear clients fail in business is because they have a weak self-esteem. The belief is, if I do this then I will not be successful. This is the ego thinking. If that happens, the client backs off and focuses on what needs to be done.
Now, there is nothing wrong with focusing on who you are, what you have done and what you can do. That is human nature. But the problem comes when someone says, “if I do this, then I won’t be successful.” That is where self-esteem steps in.
Most people who go into leadership positions do not possess the mental tools to overcome the ego. In addition, many of these people lack the discipline to consistently practice their leadership skills. It is my experience that most people who really want to be successful don’t care about leadership, they just want to make money. As a result, their leadership skills never develop and they end up getting frustrated and giving up too soon.
In order to truly excel at becoming successful, a person must learn to control and redirect their ego. This is achieved through the use of mental techniques such as reframing, anchoring, cognitive avoidance and positive visualization. By redirecting ego power to focus on true leadership, the person will be able to make quality decisions, communicate effectively and lead effectively. And all this is done without the person’s ego getting in the way.
When I was a young person, my family used to brag to me about my achievements. It seemed like every single task that I completed was bigger and better than the one before it. They even had little awards cards that I would receive for each of the tasks that I had completed. It was only later when I realized that I needed to reframe this so that it didn’t seem as impressive.
When you have a strong sense of self-esteem, you will naturally find ways to put yourself ahead of everyone else. This doesn’t mean that you will brag about your accomplishments, but rather, you will understand that these are real achievements and not some fluff that just happen to be good looking. When your ego is in control, you will find that you can be successful in anything that you set your mind to. Self-esteem is the key ingredient to leadership.
One of the most powerful things that anyone can do is to realize their potential. This is a hard concept for many people to grasp, especially when they are young. Many youth develop a false sense of entitlement, which causes them to believe that they are more than capable of achieving great things. In reality, everyone deserves to be treated well and has the ability to achieve great success. The first step to self-confidence is to acknowledge your potential for success.
The ability to focus intently on your objectives when you are working towards them will give you a clear path toward success. When you lack focus, you will often make mistakes. These mistakes may not be very serious or may only be minor. However, this lack of focus can lead to major failure if not tempered by an adequate level of self-esteem.
In order to build self-esteem in yourself, you must be willing to accept constructive criticism. It is important to build upon the strengths that you have in order to become a more successful leader. While you should be willing to accept criticism, you must also be willing to improve yourself. If you believe that you are a valuable resource, your contributions will show through in your leadership and your self-esteem will grow.
The bottom line is this: If you want to be a successful leader, you must be willing to eliminate your egotistical tendencies and learn to rely on your own abilities and the support of others. Ego is very easy to build when you let it stand without any reference to your true abilities. You will be surprised how much easier it is to build self-esteem when you do. Start today by reading an honest to goodness story of someone who overcame their ego and learned to rely on their skills and the support of others. You will be amazed at the impact this will have on you.