Mind Traps - Part Five

Trapped by ego.[i]

Humans can be fully enveloped by their identity. Our beliefs, values, morals… we’ll defend them – our sense of self, our sense of rightness, who we are as a person.

We believe we can change but if the change challenges our identity, our ego, we can tell ourselves and others “this is who I am – take it or leave it.” Our own learning and growth can stagnate in the service of the ego.

This can leave us behind – as the world evolves – organizations need to evolve right along with it.

Organizations often must assess and address what’s next for them to remain relevant and viable.

People do too, especially leaders.

We’ve learned a great deal with the pandemic. We learned that the value of in person business has lessened because we had to change that to remain productive. We learned our reach can be farther and widened by embracing virtual business. A leader that clung to the value of ‘in person’ is the only way, may have led their organization into trouble waters.

How can we escape our ego? Continuing with the curious questions.

Question 1: Who would I like to be next? The source of this answer may come from several places. What legacy will I create?

Question 2: What does my organization need to develop and grow? Leaders need to embrace the idea of the next thing to keep their organization relevant. If leaders hold onto the past too tightly, they may miss opportunities.

Being trapped by ego can decrease agility, which is important in any organization.

[i] Meet the Mindtraps, Berger, Jennifer Garvey