When you enter a fancy restaurant or event, have you ever left your coat at the door? Just like a jacket that can be taken on and off, good leaders need to able to push their egos aside.

Being self-aware and understanding what others think of you is important. If your ego is doing all the talking, you are stifling agility. It’s important to be aware and take a look at yourself and decide if your ego is overly active when interacting with people around you.

The Imagination Age Demands An Agile Workforce

A healthy corporation needs talent that can move, grow and develop. Agile leaders aren’t afraid to take risks and create conditions that reward employees for stepping outside the comfort box and meeting new demands. It isn’t enough anymore for a leader to understand the management process and follow a checklist; rather, good leaders need to be open to many types of thinking and be able to set aside their own egos sometimes.

To be successful, you really have to put your ego in the background and try to be diplomatic to achieve what you want to achieve.

Ken Adam

An agile leader is a person who is always scanning and reassessing, using both the ‘left’ analytical brain and the ‘right’ intuitive mind. Skills such as adaptability, creativity, and thinking on your feet are increasingly valued. And great leaders have to not only possess these skills, but they also need to ensure that their employees have opportunities to take risks. But when a leader does all the talking, and his or her ego is the biggest elephant in the room, agility and risk-taking will be stifled.

Agility And Awareness Go Hand-in-hand, You Need Both To Achieve The Best Results

Science is allowing us to glimpse the inner workings of our brains, and the results sometimes aren’t that pretty. The brains of business leaders can resemble the brains of people afflicted by disease. We think we are healthy, but in reality, we are neglecting our brains.

It takes a certain awareness, however, to understand when your ego is a problem. The line between standing up for your work and yourself and going too far can sometimes be hazy and unclear. To ensure that your ego isn’t constantly trying to be the belle of the ball, you need to make sure that you are flourishing mentally and physically.

How To Improve

By using the techniques and principles from from the i4 teachings, you will have the tools to become an agile and aware leader. Being able to see the bigger picture and understanding how your actions and decision can impact the future is critical.

Take a deep look at yourself. Decide if you need to set your ego aside to create an atmosphere where people want to speak up and present new ideas. The i4 Model can open your eyes to what others think about you, and help you realise your full potential. 

Originally posted on: 2 January 2018
Last updated on: 24 March 2024

You May Also Like

These Stories on Awareness

Silvia Damiano

Silvia Damiano

Founder & CEO
About my Brain Institute

Scientist, educator, author, speaker, coach, award-winning leadership specialist, filmmaker and creator of the i4 Neuroleader Model & Methodology.

Silvia's scientific background and curiosity about the human brain led her to a decade long journey of research into optimal brain functioning and the application of neuroscience in leadership and daily life. Her past and current roles have uniquely prepared her for the current undertaking, that of leadership activist & change agent.

Silvia Damiano founded The About my Brain Institute in 2009, with the purpose of democratising leadership & neuroscience. She has a passionately held belief, that leaders in our 21st century global economy and their organisations must radically change long-held ideas of what constitutes effective leadership

In her ground-breaking books ‘Leadership is Upside Down’, ‘Brain-Friendly Leadership’ and the 2018 documentary ‘Make Me A Leader’, Silvia provides both compelling evidence and explores the importance of leadership in our personal and professional lives and what it takes to develop the human behind the leader.

Silvia has worked in different countries, across many industries, helping teams and organisations improve business performance. Silvia’s clients have described her as a passionate, dynamic, a highly experienced speaker and master facilitator on the topics of Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Change, Neuroleadership & Engagement.

Silvia is passionate about leaving a legacy of well-rounded leaders who can act and decide in a way that better serves humanity. Her clients include Microsoft, Australian Stock Exchange, NSW Government, VISA, Fuji Xerox and Manpower amongst many other global companies.

No Comments Yet

Let us know what you think