Ego is the enemy of success. Nothing destroys leadership quicker than ego. It prevents leaders from rising to greatness because it keeps them in a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we fail to step on our own personal ego shores, we sink like lemmings into the quicksand of defeat. And we never seem to rise.
But what happens when you are afraid to die or to take your chances? What happens when you hide behind your "ego" rather than face life head on and do what it takes? When you are afraid to fail, you avoid risk. When you are afraid to risk, you can't rise to greatness.
No one in this world likes to fail. Leaders must be able to overcome their own personal fears if they are to lead and be effective. All leaders learn to overcome their own internal fears over time.
This is no different than learning how to swim. No one can master swimming right out of the pool without having to first master water. Like with swimming, no one can get anything accomplished without first being comfortable in the water. So it goes with leadership. No one can rise to greatness until they first feel secure in their ability to lead.
Every successful leader will tell you that you cannot lead without confidence. You cannot achieve anything worthwhile without first feeling confident that you have the knowledge, skills and knowledge needed to accomplish your goals. This is where ego enters the picture. When you become convinced that you know more than others, that you are more capable, you take this ego to new levels. You begin to think only of yourself at all times and refuse to ask for the help of others. You shut down the "circuit breaker" that otherwise would've prevented your ego from holding you back.
Emotions are one of the most damaging things for a leader. They can blind you to your actual needs. It is important to identify your "leadership issue". Often times the biggest barriers to success are fear, ignorance or a belief that you are destined to fail. By eliminating one of these self-defeating beliefs you have taken a major step towards eliminating one of the most common causes of failure in leadership. After you have eliminated the belief that you are destined to fail, you are now ready to face the knowledge that you are capable of leading.
Nothing destroys leadership quicker than a belief that you are helpless. No one was born to be a leader and it is not humanly possible for any one person to lead the group or team they are involved with. Leaders allow situations to present themselves. If the situation is not going the way they want it to, leaders simply step aside and let someone else step up. This action allows the leader to focus on what is important. They no longer become distracted by their own perceived failures.
By removing fear from your life, you are also removing one of the most common root causes for failure. Fear is the number one reason why leaders fall behind schedule and cause problems. If you are living in a constant state of fear, you are living in a state of constant failure. You must find a way to keep your focus on the mission at hand. By removing fear from your life you will be able to move forward faster and achieve more. These are just a few of the ways that nothing destroys leadership quicker than your perception of it.
