The Questions Arrogant, self-centered, stubborn, and insecure -- words that most people associate with ego. But in this original, eye-opening work, authors David Marcum and Steven Smith argue that the upside of ego is as powerful as the downside and answer questions about ego that have been a mystery to most people.
In his landmark book, Good to Great, Jim Collins showed that one of two key traits defined leaders who transformed organizations from good to great: humility. But if humility is so powerful, why don't more of us have it? Why does ego allow us to reach good results but never great ones, unless balanced by humility? Why do we need ego to personally succeed, while having it often interferes with the success we pursue?
The Answers
Using five years of exhaustive research, Marcum and Smith provide compelling evidence and matter-of-fact answers on striking the balance between ego and humility to reach the next level of leadership. The authors include case studies to illustrate how ego subtly interferes with success but also how ego sparks the drive to achieve, the nerve to try something new, and the tenacity to conquer adversity.
The Early Warning Signs
We all have moments when ego costs us everything from an honest conversation to a job or promotion. Through cross-disciplinary research, egonomics reveals how to detect four early warning signs that ego is becoming a liability, including how:
• being too competitive makes you less competitive • defending ideas turns into defending yourself
• winning ideas can be halted by the creator's own intelligence and talent
• desiring respect and recognition can interfere with success
The Keys to Egonomic Health
Three key principles keep ego healthy:
• humility: striking the crucial balance between too much ego and not enough • curiosity: blending free thinking and discipline without bias
• veracity: removing fear of giving or getting feedback to produce water-cooler honesty
With a clear focus on elevating the way you do business, egonomics is a liberating approach to becoming a rare and respected leader.
Industry Reviews
"Refreshing...a compelling case for the practical importance of humility in the business realm." -- Alan Deutschman, senior writer, Fast Company; author of Change or Die "This book is quite an accomplishment." -- Jon Kabat-Zinn, professor of medicine emeritus, University of Massachusetts Medical School; author of Coming to Our Senses "Engaging and well-written." -- Dave Ulrich, Ph.D., professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan "Should be required reading in every MBA program." -- Christine M. Pearson, Ph.D., Thunderbird School of Global Management "A wonderful book...addresses the greatest challenge faced by successful people." -- Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times bestselling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There "I loved this book. Reveals in depth and originality how to deploy this basic force for self-development and the common good." -- Dr. Warren Bennis, distinguished professor of business, University of Southern California "Intelligent and wise...a beautiful job describing ego's strengths and pitfalls." -- Dr. Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School "Pay attention when Stephen Covey calls a book 'brilliant and vitally important'... [Egonomics] reinforces the overwhelming presence of ego in business these days." -- Diane Brady, BusinessWeek Magazine
