Keeping Ego in Check: Strengthening Leadership and Team Dynamics

Ego can trip up even the most capable executives, eroding effectiveness and hindering team performance. When leaders let their egos dominate—whether through false pride or self-doubt—their ability to lead is compromised.

Ken Blanchard, coauthor of Simple Truths of Leadership and Servant Leadership in Action, highlights how ego afflictions impact leadership.

“Ego has two troublesome sides,” Blanchard explains. “False pride makes you think more of yourself than you should, leading you to focus on self-promotion. On the other hand, fear makes you think less of yourself than you should, causing you to prioritize self-protection over collaboration.”

To combat these tendencies, Blanchard recommends two self-reflective questions:

1. “Am I here to serve or to be served?” If leadership is centered on personal gain, ego is likely at play. However, if the focus is on serving others and meeting organizational needs, the leader is practicing servant leadership.

2. “What am I doing daily to recalibrate who I want to be as a leader?” This includes considering how you start your day, the materials you engage with, and the habits that shape your growth.

“Leadership starts on the inside,” says Blanchard, “but its impact resonates with those around you.”

Warning Signs of Ego-Driven Leadership

In Egonomics, authors David Marcum and Steven Smith identify four behaviors that signal an overactive ego:

1. Seeking acceptance: Overconcern with others’ opinions can prevent authenticity.

2. Showcasing brilliance: Leaders may prioritize displaying their intelligence over fostering collective wisdom.

3. Being comparative: Fixating on comparisons turns colleagues into competitors, undermining collaboration.

4. Being defensive: Leaders may resist feedback, brush off mistakes, and prioritize protecting their position over finding solutions.

These behaviors can subtly undermine an executive’s effectiveness and, when unchecked, negatively impact team dynamics.

Recognizing Team-Level Ego Issues

In How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins outlines eight ego-related behaviors that can harm team performance:

1. Shielding leadership from unpleasant truths.

2. Offering opinions without evidence or solid reasoning.

3. Discouraging critical input with a low questions-to-statements ratio.

4. Failing to support—or actively undermining—decisions.

5. Seeking individual credit at the expense of collaboration.

6. Prioritizing personal agendas over team success.

7. Assigning blame rather than seeking solutions.

8. Consistently falling short and blaming external factors.

Improving Conversational Capacity

To address these issues, Craig Weber, author of Conversational Capacity, advocates for balancing candor and courage with curiosity and humility. His “sweet spot” for effective dialogue includes these behaviors:

• Treating perspectives as hypotheses, not truths.

• Clearly stating positions and the reasoning behind them.

• Actively seeking alternative viewpoints.

• Inquiring into others’ ideas with genuine curiosity.

• Striving for balanced candor and humility under pressure.

• Addressing tough issues with compassion and a learning mindset.

Fostering an environment where team members feel safe sharing ideas and feedback is crucial. “Humility and patience go a long way toward building a supportive and effective team,” Weber notes.

Egos Anonymous: A Practical Exercise

Ken Blanchard suggests starting meetings with an “Egos Anonymous” session. Modeled after 12-step programs, this activity involves leaders admitting moments when their ego hindered their effectiveness.

For example, a leader might say, “Hi, I’m Ken, and I’m an egomaniac. The last time my ego got in the way was when I delayed an apology or acted impatiently.”

This vulnerability builds trust and encourages reflection. “Understanding whether your actions stem from false pride or fear is the first step toward meaningful change,” Blanchard says.

Feedback for Senior Leaders

Lael Good and Diana Urbina, Blanchard team effectiveness consultants, emphasize that even seasoned executives can struggle to function as cohesive teams. Factors such as departmental silos, independent work styles, and a lack of feedback often contribute to this dynamic.

To address these challenges, Good and Urbina focus on observing team dynamics through the Blanchard Team Leadership model. Their approach includes:

• Facilitating discussions to balance communication styles.

• Observing meetings and providing feedback to improve team behavior.

• Encouraging psychological safety so team members can address issues constructively.

“Sensitive feedback can be uncomfortable, so we always seek permission and build trust before providing it,” Urbina explains. “This accelerates accountability and fosters an environment where teams can thrive.”

Senior leadership teams have a significant impact on organizational success. By addressing ego-driven behaviors and strengthening team dynamics, leaders can ensure they’re operating at their highest potential.

Best wishes, 

Yogesh