Is ego an asset to be a good leader?

By Rémi Dessertine – Associate Director

1. A good leader must keep his ego under control (to establish his authority and be recognized)

The Achilles heel of the leadership function is undoubtedly the self-confidence that one must have to take on such responsibilities! The manager’s ego is put to the test to masterfully lead such a strong human adventure!

To avoid being overtaken by events, his motto could be: “No one is perfect, without exception…”.

Marking the difference with any previous management experienced in the company is essential to break with fatalism. And to be immediately recognized as a leader of men.

Embodying leadership and sharing human values with your employees requires a healthy, direct relationship that is more in tune with the field. Betting on everyone’s ability to understand the meaning and individual benefits is a realistic bet.

A leader is also, at other times of the day; a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, a son, a volunteer invested in the service of others.

Depending on his or her experiences, the leader can more easily keep both feet on the ground. Hearing and feeling the beating heart of your team is essential. Detecting the human frailties that restrain or even slow down individual ambitions is the guarantee of a better understanding of the members of the group. If man has inherited the modesty to listen before judging, to explain before deciding, it is the jackpot for the company that demands a result, only a result…

To manage the jolts of his ego, the leader must constantly question himself, consider the path travelled, and have as his sole objective the mission entrusted to him.

2. An inflated ego can harm the company (hindrance to performance/reduces the field of vision)

The “leader”, a title that has become vulgar with very negative connotations, becomes the “leader”; The “manager”, the “leader”, an accessible, human person, on whom the well-being of the employees, the dynamics and the influence of the company depend.

The leader, the man or woman of the situation, becomes the center of all desires. His knowledge and experience make him indispensable in personnel management.

Overconfidence, an oversized ego, makes it impossible to communicate fruitfully and to set up a constructive and productive management. The lack of esteem of one’s employees and the inevitable inability to create links with the teams are counterproductive.

It is not uncommon to find him alone in the middle of many people… The ego cannot bear such an affront.

The spiral of decisions that are contrary to the smooth running of the company becomes a serious obstacle for the latter. The company, deprived of the expected objective, suffers from a drop in productivity, a new crisis of absenteeism, and the demotivation of staff. The boat becomes unsteerable and goes adrift…

The constant competition, the enormous financial stakes in a ruthless world with its inevitable excesses, lead to slippage, burnouts, and human tragedies on both sides.

 

3. For the ego to become an asset, you must know how to show humility: the interim manager, a good example (Recognize your strengths and weaknesses)

Faced with the evidence, a new approach to management, particularly during interim management missions, is making headway. Taking into account people, relational conditions at work, the collateral implications of employees’ lifestyles, and the well-being of each individual has become an absolute necessity to retain employees.

When a company has a real leader in its ranks, the visible and concrete effects speak to the company’s financial players. The investment pays off.

The qualities required for this strategic position are those of a rare, very rare profile.

And even rarer when he proves to be respected by all.

The result is not the result of chance…

 

Very often , the interim manager embodies this leader who has recognized skills. As well as many corridor secrets, which, as we all know, when used well, produce some wonders! The art of diplomacy and compromise is one of the indispensable human and moral qualities of man! Being one step ahead is in any case a vital necessity. In all discretion, an absolute obligation, his ego vibrates!

The values conveyed by an unblemished career, a controlled ego, an exemplary humility, reveal his true personality.

For all the company’s stakeholders, it will be imprinted in the company’s DNA, regardless of its size. Moreover, his presence will be felt, even after his eventual departure! A recognition that rewards self-sacrifice and the work done.

 

In the current economic conditions, loyalty and emotional attachment to one’s job and working conditions weigh very heavily in the balance! There is no doubt that the interim manager, this modern-day craftsman and alchemist, must have often listened, found the words that soothe, to finally achieve his goals!

 

Rémi DESSERTINE – Associate Director