Is there a place for Ego in the workplace?

Ego is our sense of self, and it can trip us up when it gets too big for itself.

We’ve all known colleagues – friends and family, with big egos.  There’s nothing wrong with feeling confident and proud except when it undermines others.  But we need to keep our Ego in its place in a spirit of harmony in the workplace.

When we let our over-inflated sense of self rule us, we act with disdain and feel important.  This causes us to measure others against our current levels of one-upmanship. When we put ourselves first and centre stage we measure others against our criteria. And its then that the trouble starts – finding people are less than we expect them to be – and seeing ourselves as higher in the game.

None of this makes for easy watching.  If you’re seeing egos jostle for position then someone’s going to get bruised.  And bruised egos are often taken very personally.

Until we manage to see ourselves as part of a bigger whole we’ll keep seeing hierarchy.

When we value our sense of self and what we bring, and ditch the ego, then we can offer much more and be more.

There’s no need to jostle others. And no need to feel second rate. It’s purely our over-inflated self opinion that lets us gets ruffled.

Of course we all applaud knowing our value and knowing what we bring. But this sense of self doesn’t come with bells and whistles.   It’s based on a solid sense of serving. Acknowledging our skills and talents and what we offer is an excellent way to feel about ourselves.

It allows us to feel good about giving and receiving in return (i.e. charging for our services).

Of course there are those who push this too far and make us feel uncomfortable about some aspect of their ra-ra. But the genuine marketing of someone who recognises their worth makes us feel safe and sound.

We expect them to speak of their skills and we’re ready to listen, because it’s done in a genuine way.

It’s the look at me individuals who deep down aren’t steady in their self love who feel they have to continually sing their own song, louder and more arrogantly that others.

Ego for the genuine mindful person will be self-regulating.  We know when our ego gets the better of us and rears too high. At times I’ve felt myself feeling uncomfortable at some of my stories and checked myself in time.

Ego can trip us up, but if we acknowledge its role in reminding us of our collective place in the scheme of things, it can swiftly put us back into a more balanced position.

Trust your ego to guide you to what’s feels right for your time, your place and your purpose.

If you listen to your heart, you won’t go far wrong.