1. Favor purpose over passion. Generally purpose precedes service and passion reflects our own wants and desires. Lead with positive intent and highest character.
2. "Quiet your ego." Ego can shut down our ability to listen, to process, and make effective decisions. Holiday discusses how General George McClellan's ego and overthinking rendered him an ineffective leader despite intrinsic intelligence and preparation.
3. Ego puts us "below the line." Urban Meyer wrote Above the Line about the continuous and intentional struggle for excellence. When we are ego-driven, we can slide into "below the line" behaviors - blame, complain, and defend.
4. Ego prevents us from leaving our comfort zone. Ego can prohibit growth by disallowing failure which creates "cognitive dissonance." Failure forces us into the Moneyball quandary, "if he's such a good hitter, why doesn't he hit better." We grow by taking intelligent risk and work to develop new skills. Embracing discomfort allows us to reinvent ourselves and become a better version.
5. Ego interferes with our objectivity. Holiday writes, "Ego lives in fantasy and creates a shield between you and the actual world." Leaders are learners and listeners. We all remember how Steve Kerr (2015) made changes to play "small ball" on the advice of an assistant, helping to turn around the Warriors as they won an NBA championship.
Ego is the kryptonite that diminishes us and impairs our ability to function at our highest levels. When we look around us daily, we can see how excessive ego proves self-destructive.