Ego is your sense of self. Exaggerated ego believes self-love is the goal. Leading with soul is otherish. Healthy self-love teaches us how to love others.
Ego detox energizes soul. Choose vitality.
- Stop telling lies to protect status.
- Worry less about fairness.
- View conversations as collaborations, not competitions.
- Explore before criticizing.
- Invite input when making decisions.
- Affirm others. Fix yourself.
- Don’t beat yourself down for responsible failure.
Soul Sabotage:
You sabotage soul when you amplify ego.
Ego distorts perception. Stupid looks smart when arrogance rules. Weak seems strong. Temporary looks final. Insignificant appears impactful.
Ego elevates generalities into absolutes. For example, you’re right sometimes, not always. People need help sometimes and sometimes you need help.
Energize your soul:
#1. Dance with uncertainty
Don’t make yourself look stupid by pretending to know when you don’t. Acknowledge you don’t have all the answers.
Action item #1: Ask who has experience in this area.
Action item #2: Say, “What do you think,” before offering solutions.
#2. Play with curiosity
Shift focus from answers to questions. Curiosity elevates exploration and welcomes another’s perspective.
Action item #3: Ask questions before making statements.
#3. Practice vulnerability
Defensiveness defeats soul. Vulnerability produces vibrancy. The weight of protecting your image drains life until you have little to protect.
Action item #4: Tell stories about what you learned from failure.
7 detox questions:
- What am I missing?
- Who is impacted by this decision? How?
- Who tells me the truth?
- How can I help others find their own solutions?
- Who waits on the fringes for an opportunity to contribute?
- How can I seek feedback from truth-tellers?
- What am I learning from others? About others?
How might leaders bring soul into organizations?
Explore more:
6 Reasons Egotistical Leaders are Exhausted
10 Signs Ego Hinders Your Success
Read our book, The Vagrant: The Inner Journey of Leadership, to rediscover vitality.
