The egoless leader?

Can you imagine your organisation with egoless leaders? Would it be a more pleasant, less confrontational work environment with better, more open communication? Would employees feel comfortable talking about what gets in the way of them doing their job? Would employee engagement improve because they feel their leader cares about them? Would it increase productivity, improve morale, and improve word of mouth from employees and customers?

Egoless leadership is an approach to leadership and management that minimises personal ego and encourages a collaborative and team-oriented work environment. It’s a concept of management that was made popular by Douglas McGregor in the 1960’s, and it aligns with the principles of humanistic management, of fostering a positive and inclusive organisational culture, that improves employee engagement and satisfaction. It also promotes innovation and creativity within teams and recognises that leadership is not about asserting authority but about enabling and supporting others to reach their full potential.

It's a concept that also understands that a successful leader can have contradictory traits (some leaders strike a balance between egoless leadership and assertiveness depending on the needs of their team and organisation), the art being to find a balance between any potential tensions that might occur between them.

Egoless leaders have a clear vision, build on and use the capability of their team, welcome input from stakeholders, and look for new opportunities to grow or do better. Their personality characteristics drive organisational culture and has a direct impact not only on their performance but also on broader engagement and team operations. They put the needs of the organisation ahead of their own, and act in a way that serves the business first.

Whilst it may not be suitable for all organisations or situations, egoless leadership can have real benefits. Although leaders need to have self-confidence and a belief in their abilities, they also need the ability to strike a balance and to avoid having an inflated ego. In today’s workplace, are humility, empathy, adaptability, collaboration and the well-being of the team and organisation more important than a leader’s ego?