No Ego

1. Ego is the enemy of workplace productivity and engagement

The ego is not your amigo.

Ego creates drama. It generates emotional waste, distorts reality, and hinders productivity. In the workplace, ego-driven behaviors like complaining, blaming, and resisting change consume valuable time and energy. Research shows that the average employee spends 2.5 hours per day on drama and emotional waste.

Bypass ego for better results. Leaders can help employees move beyond ego by:

• Asking reflective questions like "What do you know for sure?" and "How can you help?"
• Focusing on facts rather than stories or interpretations
• Encouraging personal accountability instead of victimhood
• Modeling ego-free behavior and decision-making

By reducing ego-driven drama, organizations can reclaim lost productivity and foster a more engaged, solution-oriented workforce.

2. Traditional employee engagement strategies often backfire

Engagement without accountability creates entitlement.

Rethink engagement approaches. Conventional wisdom on employee engagement is flawed. It often:

• Treats all employee opinions as equally valuable
• Focuses on perfecting circumstances rather than developing people
• Assumes engagement automatically leads to better results

Shift the focus to accountability. Instead of trying to make employees happy, leaders should:

• Differentiate feedback based on employee performance and accountability
• Help employees take ownership of their engagement and results
• Measure engagement in conjunction with accountability levels

This approach prevents the creation of entitled employees and ensures that engagement efforts actually translate to improved business outcomes.

3. Accountability, not engagement, drives great results

Today's accountability drives tomorrow's results.

Accountability is key. While engagement is important, it's accountability that truly drives performance. Accountable employees:

• Take ownership of results, good or bad
• Find ways to succeed despite challenging circumstances
• Continuously learn and improve

Cultivate accountability. Leaders can foster accountability by:

• Setting clear expectations and following through
• Providing regular feedback and opportunities for self-reflection
• Rewarding accountable behavior and addressing lack of accountability
• Helping employees develop resilience and problem-solving skills

By prioritizing accountability over engagement alone, organizations create a culture of ownership and results-driven behavior.

4. Change management is outdated; focus on business readiness

Change is hard only for the unready.

Shift from change management to business readiness. Traditional change management approaches are outdated and often ineffective. Instead, organizations should focus on developing employees' ability to anticipate and adapt to change.

Foster readiness at all levels:

1. Awareness: Clearly communicate changes and expectations
2. Willingness: Secure commitment and address resistance
3. Advocacy: Encourage public support and activate the "silent majority"
4. Active participation: Involve employees in implementing changes
5. Driving change: Develop employees who can anticipate and lead change efforts

By cultivating business readiness, organizations become more agile and better equipped to thrive in rapidly changing environments.

5. Leaders must facilitate self-reflection, not provide answers

Feedback short. Self-reflection long.

Shift leadership approach. Instead of always providing answers or solutions, effective leaders:

• Ask thought-provoking questions
• Encourage employees to reflect on their actions and choices
• Guide people to find their own solutions

Tools for self-reflection:

• Assign reflection exercises or journaling tasks
• Use the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) model for problem-solving
• Conduct regular one-on-one coaching sessions focused on employee growth

By facilitating self-reflection, leaders help employees develop critical thinking skills, increase self-awareness, and take greater ownership of their work and development.

6. Buy-in is a prerequisite, not something to be earned

Stay in joy or go in peace.

Reframe buy-in expectations. Leaders shouldn't waste time trying to "get" buy-in from employees. Instead:

• Make it clear that buy-in is a condition of employment
• Focus energy on working with willing employees
• Address resistance directly and promptly

Handle lack of buy-in:

1. Ask employees to rate their level of buy-in (1-10)
2. For low ratings, inquire about their plan to increase buy-in
3. If buy-in remains low, discuss transition plans

This approach eliminates the third option of staying without commitment, reducing emotional waste and improving overall team performance.

7. Reality-based leadership eliminates emotional waste

Our suffering does not come from our reality; it comes from the stories we make up about our reality.

Embrace reality-based leadership. This approach focuses on:

• Delivering unvarnished truth without apology
• Helping employees confront and adapt to reality, rather than argue with it
• Eliminating emotional waste caused by drama and resistance

Implement reality-based techniques:

• Edit employees' "stories" to focus on facts
• Use the "New Story Exercise" to separate facts from interpretations
• Encourage employees to ask, "What would great look like?" in challenging situations

By grounding leadership in reality, organizations can reduce drama, increase productivity, and foster a more resilient workforce.

8. Develop accountability through challenge and feedback

Challenge, experienced accountability, feedback, self-reflection, and collegial mentoring are the five phases of developing accountability.

Foster accountability growth. Leaders can develop accountability in their teams by:

1. Providing challenging assignments that stretch employees' abilities
2. Allowing employees to experience the natural consequences of their actions
3. Offering timely, specific feedback on performance and behavior
4. Encouraging and guiding self-reflection
5. Facilitating peer mentoring and support

Create accountability-building opportunities:

• Delegate important tasks with clear expectations
• Use failure as a learning opportunity, not a punishment
• Implement regular feedback sessions and self-assessment exercises
• Establish mentoring programs or peer accountability groups

By intentionally guiding employees through these phases, leaders can cultivate a highly accountable workforce capable of delivering exceptional results.

9. Personal preference cannot trump business potential

Personal preference can't trump business potential.

Prioritize business needs. Leaders must help employees understand that their personal preferences are secondary to the organization's potential for growth and success.

Address preference-based resistance:

• Clearly communicate the business case for changes or decisions
• Help employees see beyond their immediate comfort zone
• Encourage a focus on long-term benefits rather than short-term discomfort
• Provide support and resources to help employees adapt

By shifting the focus from individual preferences to organizational potential, leaders can reduce resistance to change and foster a more adaptable, forward-thinking culture.

10. Saying "yes" fuels innovation and problem-solving

Saying yes quickly is what gives birth to innovation.

Cultivate a "yes" mindset. Encourage employees to default to "yes" when presented with new ideas or challenges. This approach:

• Fosters creativity and innovation
• Encourages collaborative problem-solving
• Builds resilience and adaptability

Implement "yes, and" thinking:

• Train employees to respond to new ideas with "Yes, and..." instead of "No, but..."
• Encourage brainstorming sessions where all ideas are initially welcomed
• Reward employees who find creative solutions to challenges

By creating a culture that embraces possibility rather than defaulting to limitations, organizations can unlock new levels of innovation and problem-solving capability.

Last updated: January 22, 2025