On a train from New York to Boston, which gives me time to
ponder an important subject that has bothered me for years at former ventures.
The subject is how much ego is too much in a start-up.
Ego is an important part of a successful person that
reflects confidence and leadership traits. However, too much ego becomes
counter productive in a start-up. To be direct, a little narcissism exists in
most of us; however, when it dominates a person’s thought process it can lead
to division and destruction of a business and personal failure.
For me, the issue of ego feels like an enigma. Why would a
person go so far to sacrifice collective and personal success to be right or
have his/ her name
temporarily in lights? It seems like a powerful contradiction because
collective success leads to more opportunity, confidence and lasting
satisfaction.
This problem exists in every business, but becomes greatly
magnified in early stage companies where the stakes are high and the
personalities are strong. I believe that it may be a problem without a firm answer.
I am a believer that the extremes of our personalities make us great or a
disaster. Every successful business was generally accomplished with large risk,
drama and a degree of ego. Apple is one example where the founder was minimized and
the company floundered on the brink, but made the most amazing comeback in
business history. You could argue that the young Steve Jobs extreme personality
drove him out of the company and the confident/ more politically savvy Jobs
brought him back and saved Apple. His ego came into balance.
The only possible answer I can see here is to encourage team
play. The more you are comfortable with a team effort, the better you will
control your ego and needs as you interact in business. Much like a football/
basketball team, everyone has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. The idea
is to maximize the strengths and minimize the weakness – which can only be done
through a group effort. You cannot have all the answers yourself and you must
be open to criticism to improve the team. Also, everyone cannot be the
quarterback/ point guard – you have to understand your role. Having a role less
than being in charge is extremely difficult for highly confident/ high ego/
high performing employees, but is a necessity for success. This also makes you
better when you are in charge because you understand teamwork and how it
relates to achievement & performance.
Ego is a great multiplier or destroyer of fantastic business
ideas. If you get the balance right, everything works. I am sure this extends
to personal life as well as business and has many applications.
Too much of a good thing makes it a bad thing… and it can be
really, really good if you can tame it.
