One of the trickiest parts of leadership is leaving ego behind. When you become the face of a school or organization and it is successful, it can be tempting to take credit for that. Especially when you so often are the face of blame as well! When you hear the positive feedback, it can be easy to let it go to your head. Accepting responsibility for the weight of a leadership position is important, but it is even more important to remember that in any school or organization, it isn’t about you, it’s about who you are leading. When you lose sight of that, you may be leading with ego.

Leading with ego often puts you in competition when you should be in collaboration. These confrontations are easy to slip into because they protect your ego rather than further the work you are doing. As an example, if I believe in a course of action I am more than willing to defend that belief. However, I cannot take the position that it is the only possible course of action and I need to consider all viewpoints before arriving there. There are times that leaders dig in simply because they want to be ‘right’ rather than work collaboratively to solve a problem. They want to believe that the organization rises or falls with them. Real leadership is one that empowers everyone to build something that will last when the leader moves on

When you are leading with ego it prompts the question: how does this affect me, rather than how does this affect other people? Both of these filters will lead to very different choices and actions being taken. This is not to say that these things are mutually exclusive, since I do believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. However, when decisions are made at the expense of those you lead, it may be time to look in the mirror and reflect on who you are serving. 

As a final note on the dangers of leading with ego, is in accepting feedback, especially when it may be negative in nature. You may be quick to take in praise and think well of those who give it, inflating your opinion of their judgement or ability because of it. Similarly, you may dismiss negative feedback quickly and lower your opinion of those who give it rather than reflect on why they are saying it to you in the first place. To be clear, it is important to analyze any feedback (good and bad) and consider the source and intentions behind it since not all feedback is fair or genuine. But, if you notice a pattern of getting certain feedback and accepting or dismissing it, then it may be worth taking time to consider.  

One solution is to ensure that you talk about the work rather than yourself. I love to highlight the amazing things happening at our school and the teachers who make that happen. I am less comfortable talking about my role in it. I carry the banner for my teachers and speak well of them often. Do I play a part in that? Sure, but not enough to take credit for those that are doing the work and having that positive impact, similar to how a good coach builds great players who hit home runs, score goals or sink baskets.

Avoiding a reliance on titles is also a good move. Leveraging a title as a leader can be a useful tool depending on your audience, but it is better to lead by your actions rather than simply your role. If you have to tell people you are in charge, then you probably aren’t. Or, at best, you are in charge by virtue of your position rather than by virtue of your leadership. 

I think that ambition and drive are an essential part of a good leader. Jim Collins in Good to Great, refers to this as Level 5 Leadership, which is essentially a strong will for the organization to succeed, tempered with a personal humility. Wanting to make your school the best school out there, or your organization to reach even further heights is admirable, just ensure that you are doing it for the right reasons, to elevate others and not simply your own part in it. 

The fact is, if you are a great leader, that will get known. If you are in it for yourself, that gets known too. Privately recognize your strengths, contributions as well as your limitations and areas of growth, but be sure to do the same for those you lead, since without them, you aren’t leading anyone. As a parting thought it is worth asking yourself periodically, When you are gone from your organization, will you have served your school, or yourself?