By the time I was in my mid-thirties, I was an entrepreneur and a leader. And although I was a good guy, at times I was immature, egotistical, and prideful. I wasn’t full-on arrogant in the way you might think of the Silverback Gorilla, pounding my chest and all that. But I didn't know what I didn't know about leadership.
The first leadership trap on the road to becoming the Sage on the Mountain is Arrogance. And while arrogance is rare and easy to identify, pride and egoism are much more common and more subtle. Selfishness. Self-absorption. The ego run amok. And it sneaks in.
These things are a problem because they cloud your vision and stop you from seeing the world around you clearly. This includes how you see your people and how you impact them (in positive and negative ways).
There is a saying that you can’t teach someone what they think they already know. So the problem here can be phrased as a question: What do you think you already know? What are your blind spots? Where are you not seeing clearly, especially the ways that you might be the architect of your own issues?
So, the first choice at the Soul of Leadership is the choice of Humility vs. Arrogance.
Humility involves putting the greater good above yourself. Patrick Lencioni calls it vulnerability. Jim Collins calls it personal humility. Steve Jobs said, “Stay humble, stay foolish.” In EOS®, we call it the “open” in “open and honest”.
If your ego is filtering and bending reality, the first step to becoming the Sage on the Mountain is to become more humble. More open. More vulnerable. To what, you might ask? To the greater good. To reality and truth.
One way to think of Humility is not seeing yourself as better than anyone else. Because when you think like that, your ego goes into overdrive, and it obstructs your understanding of yourself, others, and your outlook on reality.
When you see yourself clearly, imperfections and all, you begin to see others clearly, and eventually, everything else. The superpower of humility is awareness. Crystal clear vision. Seeing and understanding where you are and where you want to go. A handy trait for Visionary entrepreneurs and leaders creating bigger, better futures.
So, how do you choose Humility and attain this heightened level of clarity and awareness? The catalyst is "Letting Go". In other words, let go of your ego or whatever egoistic thoughts you have. Own your mistakes and your weaknesses. Let go of any need for a “face”. Let your guard down because inside of you, there is a powerfully confident human being that is capable of seeing clearly.
The key tool in EOS® is the expectation your Implementer sets at the beginning of each session - it's the "Open" in open and honest™. Apply this when you IDS™ your issues and teach your people to do the same. Teach them how to say “I may be the issue here”. And the best way to do this is to lead by example. You will find that when you do this, you will be able to quickly and courageously identify root cause issues and solve them forever.
Letting go is also a key part of the 10 Disciplines. Gino and his co-founder and co-author, Rob Dube, call this shedding layers in their book Shine. The layers are those areas where we think we must appear without imperfection. Having all the answers. Being infallible.
Next week, you're going to learn how to apply this newfound clarity and awareness and direct it to what you want and what's most important. That's because Choice #2 is Focus.
Until next week,
Onwards and upwards, intrepid entrepreneurs and leaders.
Big love,
Philip
