Beyond Ego

Book excerpt: It's hard to get into the boardrooms and offices of some organizations because the egos of the leaders take up way too much space. And some say that's good; it takes big egos to make things happens. Not so, according to Art Horn, an executive coach who leads a sales force development company. Just listen to what the people who work for these big egos have to say: "John is a smart guy and knows what he's doing, but his swollen ego keeps subverting what we're trying to do as a department." Or "Mary needs to stop focusing on her own star qualities and actually help the people who report to her. We're here to drive results, not admire her." In a step-by-step, practical manner, Beyond Ego shows leaders how to move beyond ego in their day-to-day leadership tasks, thereby achieving engaged, inspired, committed, and productive teams and businesses. Horn teaches them to self-manage, by: setting aside personal judgments being sensitive to the cravings and needs of individual employees focusing not on blame but on the actions it will take to produce results Influential leaders at their best, according to Horn, listen for commitment and pull it out of people, as required. And they role-model this level of commitment in their own lives. When ego is taken out of the equation, leaders and employees are focused on their mission -- unencumbered by the politics and fears that rule in most workplaces. Instead, productivity rules the day. This inspiring book will have a powerful impact on organizations as leaders come to see that results truly are all that matter when everyone moves together -- beyond ego.