At one point or the other we have all come across people who have huge/massive egos at the workplace. Dealing with such people can be very frustrating and disheartening!!

The term EGO is used to refer to a person’s sense of ‘self’. It encompasses their thoughts and feelings, including their self-esteem and sense of self-importance. 

The fact is we all have Egos. To get to the top in any profession, and succeed in the face of pressure and uncertainty, entrepreneurs and CEOs need to exhibit a strong persona. Leaders who have the resilience, perseverance and self-confidence to push themselves or others to confront and overcome their fears, are seen as having healthy egos and hence people like to follow them and believe their vision!!

However, an excessive ego or an inflated/ big ego can have a detrimental impact on leadership! Such leaders tend to be arrogant, boastful and entitled. They hate being challenged, have to be right always and tend to be absolute control freaks! Because of their inability to trust others or make meaningful connections, they like to micromanage and take every decision! This is the reason they tend to lose good people from their teams! 

The typical red flags in my opinion are:- people with big egos tend to be blind to their weaknesses and flaws; and seem to always indulge in work behaviour in pursuit of their interests!! This can be detrimental to their effectiveness and that of the organisation at large! The power politics, indifference to the concerns of others and lack of empathy can create stress in the system. They struggle to recognize and address their areas of improvement. Only if they were more self-aware and willing to learn from others they wouldn’t be egotistical! 

From our vulnerability comes humility which is the opposite of ego and can be a great leadership trait to have! However, for women leaders,  I would recommend that they dial up or take a notch up their ego to navigate workplaces in which they are - a) constantly underestimated, b) receive microaggressions and c) experience bias!!! This is because more often than not their humility or politeness tends to get mistaken for inadequacy or lack of confidence! 

An authentic leader ought to have the strength to admit that she might be wrong, that she doesn’t have all the answers and that she may need help to succeed. A humble person is more concerned about what is right than being right and allows team members to contribute ideas, be respected and be part of the team’s success.

HR folks can help stomp out egos and defensive behaviours in the workplace, all of which contribute to toxic leadership. There is a rise in mental health issues that could stem from these management mishaps.

It does negatively impact the overall work culture and attitude. 

As a Leadership Consultant, I see that there is a need for building inclusive cultures of civility within the workplace or else we risk losing talented young people and leaders in large numbers! 

(This article first appeared on the WiP page on 21st Aug 2023. I am the founder of WiP which is a cohort of like minded talented women who help each other grow in a fun filled, judgement free manner!)