It seems so simple, but this concept can bite even the brightest person in the butt! Confidence is a quality that is important in any leader, but in the midst of this confidence there must be a sense of humility—otherwise your ego will stop you from being a great leader.
It good to have a reminder of this handed to you every once in a while. Just this week in a state of frustration, I wanted to send off an email to another volunteer explaining that I clearly knew what I was doing since I’m required to do similar tasks for companies much larger than this organization…my ego was bruised and I wanted to lash out—at another volunteer—because I felt that my abilities were questioned.
After calling my friend for counsel, taking a deep breath and waiting about 10 minutes, a cooler head and smaller ego prevailed.
Reflecting on that event, I realized that this happens all too often. I’ve spent personal time, money and resources on my career; I spend my free time learning more about social media, communications and trends; I work during evenings and weekends for my own job as well as those organizations I volunteer with; and I take my work very seriously (even if I don’t take myself seriously)…so how can MY motives be questioned?
I’m not alone; many of us are wired the exact same way. But, don’t let your ego get in the way, you might miss out on a great idea, new opportunity or learning experience—and great leaders don’t let those things pass them by.
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