No Ego:
How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement and Drive Big Results.
| Author: Cy Wakeman, 2017 |
What’s It All About?
Recently, one of my clients mentioned she was reading a book called “No Ego” by Cy Wakeman. At first, I thought “well, I don’t need to read that—my ego is in check!” But after giving it a read, I’m so glad I did. In her book, Cy Wakeman walks through how ego-driven behavior creates massive drama in the workplace, leading to unchecked emotional waste, a lack of accountability, and a general “drained” feeling within organizations. Luckily, she also offers a variety of mental tools that leaders and their teams can use to cut the ego, promote self-awareness, and improve accountability throughout an entire organization.
Biggest Takeaway
What’s the real difference between sympathy and empathy? In a section I found very powerful, Cy Wakeman poses this question. It really influenced me to me to look at my approach and earlier this week, it even became a topic of discussion in one of my workshops. She also has some great thoughts on accountability. Stop trying to motivate people by making them happy. Make them “accountable”. When you can really nail down who in your organization is accountable, you can listen and act on their concerns knowing results will follow, because that is what it is all about. With accountability, you can diffuse drama and eliminate emotional waste and start driving results.
Bonus Information:
Although I thought I had “no ego,” reading this book made me reflect on a moment I had earlier that week when my own ego almost got in the way of a client’s success. A client had stated she would be doing some of the work I normally did with her organization. At first, I was taken aback by the idea. But when I stopped and thought about it, I realized it was the best solution for the client. I had to acknowledge my ‘ego’ was the only reason I thought it was not a good idea.
What took me 25 years of leadership practice to learn is well summarized in this manageable sized read from Cy Wakeman. Do yourself a favour, put your ego aside and give it a read. You might find yourself focusing on the “accountables” to drive results.
Reviewed by: Trevor Blondeel, September 5, 2018
At Manufacturing Greatness, Trevor Blondeel works with manufacturers to connect the top to the shop floor. If you’re ready to improve your own organization, contact Trevor to learn how Manufacturing Greatness can help you build stronger leaders and develop a dynamic, high-performing workplace.