Is Your Ego Getting in the Way of Your Career?

 

Everyone has an ego, and some egos are larger than others. There are some who may argue that it takes a big ego to succeed in business. Some of the most influential CEOs are also known to have some of the biggest egos. However, as the biblical passage says, “

pride goeth before a fall,” and your ego may be getting in the way of your career advancement.

 

I recently read a contributed blog post on The Dumb Little Man’s Tips for Life that talks about ego-driven personalities and how the unchecked ego can lead to self-destruction. Here are six signs you need to watch for to determine if your ego may be getting in the way of your career:

1. Concern about approval from others. Authenticity comes from self confidence and self actualization. The blog post cites Wayne Dyer’s book Manifest Your Destiny and the three tenets of self actualizing people, one of which is standing apart from the opinion of others. If you can separate yourself from what other people think of you it’s very liberating and gives you a chance to shine, without worrying about what other people think. The result is that others will know you to be genuine and find you more likable, more authentic, and more trustworthy.
2. Fear of asking for help. No one functions in a vacuum. We are all social creatures and have to work with others, and that includes asking for assistance when you need it. If you are afraid to ask for help because you feel it will undermine your authority, or because you want all the credit, then your ego is getting in the way. Success is the product of collaboration.
3. The need to compare and compete. Ego-driven people have to keep up with the Joneses, comparing themselves to others and trying to compete, to demonstrate they are more capable or better. This is a losing battle because there will always be someone else who is more capable. If you keep trying to compete to win, you will repeatedly lose and continually be dissatisfied.
4. The need for more. Greed is ego-driven, and if you always find you need more – more money, more power, more authority, more respect – you will never be satisfied. Getting more for the sake of having more is exhausting and endless.
5. Failure to live in the now. Ego-driven people tend to dwell on the past and plan for the future. They can’t live in the moment and appreciate what is going on around them today. That means living in a constant state of limbo because you can’t appreciate the present.
6. The need to be always right. One of the most destructive functions off the ego is the need to continually be right. People who need to be right tend to be more aggressive and persistent, even bullying, but they always fall short of massive success. The benefits of hard work crumbles when you need to prove you are right above all. People who need to be right alienate those around them and eventually tune out any input that can move them forward.

So the next time you consider a career move or prepare for an interview, run through this checklist and see if your ego is getting in the way of your success. Some of these personality traits can be hard to recognize, and even harder to change, but be aware of the warning signs.