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Beware Of Egocentric Leaders

by Jonathan Jones

One of the unfortunate situations is emerging leaders who believe they are better than the people they are managing. Very few people respond positively to leaders who have inflated egos because they make others feel as small as they perceive themselves to be “large,” as in self-important. The pervasive attitude of superiority and criticism such leaders exude prevents team members from taking risks for the good of the organization. Because team members fear reprisal, compliance becomes the norm while talent remains untapped.  

Inflated egos tend to develop in “successful” people who fail to recognize the support and work of others who helped them achieve their accomplishments. Even worse, they fail to recognize that, lacking basic empathy, they are just not good with people.   

The reality is: There are lots of “people people” who have no people skills. To improve them as well as the workplace, you will need to give them guidance, support and positive role models.

The most proactive approach company owners can take with inflated egos is to discourage them from management. Be very direct in telling them they are unsuited to management without extensive training in people skills. If they do not understand the value of people skills, then suggest that they instead engage in jobs that use their intellect. This might be harsh, but it is better to define the reality of the situation early so that egocentric employees can take steps or leave. The sooner someone learns to understand himself enough and to understand and appreciate others, the sooner he will be able to assume real leadership in the company. Egocentric individuals are the greatest threats to CutureCentric organizations.

Jonathan Jones (jonathan@jonathanjonesconsulting.com or 314-608-0783) owns Jonathan Jones Consulting.

Submitted 9 years 302 days ago
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Categories: categoryCulturecentric Leadership
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