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Six Strategies You Can Use For Better Outcomes - When Ego Is Steering The Ship

Writer's picture: Lisa TrombaLisa Tromba

Updated: Apr 27, 2024




The following is adapted from Mind Knots: Understanding the Cognitive and Emotional Biases That Prevent Rational Leadership


The field of behavioral science recognizes hundreds of cognitive biases. These biases—which I refer to as mind knots—are hidden in our subconscious, wreaking havoc on our judgment, decision-making and relationships. Because they live in our subconscious, we are typically unaware of our mind knots… until they get us into trouble.


And they usually do.


One of the most common of these biases is the Egocentric Bias. And in the case of leadership, it's prominent and it can be a big problem.


This mind knot impels leaders to see and move in one direction: their own. Egocentric leaders focus on their own opinions, while blurring the perspectives of others. These leaders typically latch onto people and data that validate their beliefs, while avoiding dissenting information, which can lead to risk. Luckily, with awareness and armed with the right knowledge and strategies, leaders can transform this tangled and gnarled knot into something that propels them forward, instead of allowing their egocentric bias to tie them down.


Captains of Self and Sway


I refer to leaders with a strong egocentric bias as Captains of Self and Sway. These leaders have an extraordinary sense of self, and they are typically skilled in the art of swaying others in a direction that serves them, their mission, or their organizational goals.


Some might say these captains tend to operate in their own alternate reality, obsessively bound to themselves, their beliefs, and sometimes, their imagined - yet unrealistic capabilities. In their unstoppable effort to protect their strong sense of self under the influence of a strong egocentric bias, many Captains of Self and Sway will eventually hit a wall of reality finding that the intensity of their ego comes at a cost - personally and professionally.


Yet, on the surface, Captains of Self and Sway offer a compelling leadership profile. They often have extraordinary vision and unrelenting ambition fueled by passion, unbending belief, and unwavering confidence. Goal-oriented and persistent, these captains operate with grit and gumption. They speak with conviction and act with intensity, positivity, and boundless energy.


Captains of Self and Sway can be charismatic and inspirational, and their magnetism is typically rooted in emotion. However, these leaders are usually blind to the emotions of others, positioning them pretty low on an empathy scale. And due to their individualism, teamwork and collaboration are not usually their preferred way of working.


As you might imagine, this can lead to problems. Transparency, trust, and even integrity can hang in the balance with these captains. Why? Because egocentric bias creates a false sense of self that operates in opposition to truth. This 'mind knot,' a term I use to describe cognitive and emotional biases, can unravel teams and organizations, threatening missions, and outcomes.


Self-Awareness is Key


There are many “selves” associated with Captains of Self and Sway, including self-serving, self-aggrandizing, self-absorbed, self-enhancing, and selfish. However, the most important self-focus of which these captains typically have none, is self-awareness.


Often described as "passionate," Captains of Self and Sway stand out in most environments for their ability to drive a mission. The problem is passion isn’t directly correlated to a good outcome. Why? Because passion is based on emotion—and misguided or misaligned passion will inevitably steer these captains and their organization's off course.


Charisma compounds the directional risk of egocentric bias, attracting followers who are easily swayed by the leader’s perceptions and beliefs, causing them to abandon their own. Charismatic leaders create a magical and almost magnetic aura to which others are attracted and pledge themselves emotionally. When these captains successfully sway others, they feel valued, important, and even revered, which of course endorses their sense of self and elevates it even more.


Captains of Self and Sway are skilled in creating their own reality - one that revolves around their need for notoriety. Hitched to an alternate reality driven by self-centered ambition, these captains can be masters of illusion.


Navigating Egocentric Bias


The truth is, every one of us has an ego, and to some degree we are all affected by the egocentric bias. But does this threatening mind knot control us, or can we control it? This is a question worthy of exploration, especially if you are a leader.


Here's why. Because the egocentric bias, contrary to its holder’s self-boosting intent, is often self-defeating.


So, how can you begin to manage the ill effects of egocentric bias to whatever degree it might be getting in your way? Start by asking yourself a series of questions, the aim of which is to enable you to keep your ego in check by knowing your knot.


●       What is the purpose of my vision, and what would an ideal outcome look like for myself and for others?

●       What am I doing to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of my team, shifting the spotlight from myself to them?

●       Have I sought perspectives from others? Am I genuinely open to their feedback, or do I usually follow my own thoughts and direction regardless of what I learn?

●       Have I made decisions lately solely based on my perspective without seeking input from others? When was the last time I asked someone on my team how they felt about a decision I made?

●       Are the decisions I’ve been making truly for the benefit of the team and organization, or are they primarily serving my interests?

●       Is it important to me to create a sustainable legacy for my organization? What might that look like for me and for others?


Answering these questions honestly may bring to light elements that indicate you may indeed have a stronger egocentric bias than you might care to admit. Awareness is the first step to recognizing our biases so that we can manage them. Then you will be better able to implement the following strategies to navigate and manage this tricky mind knot.


Transforming the Negative Into the Positive


The following six strategies will go a long way towards helping you transform your egocentric bias into something that, rather than holding you back, moves you and your organization forward. Applied intentionally and consistently, these strategies can help you harness the many good qualities that go along with being a Captain of Self and Sway while avoiding the negative propensities that egocentric bias urges.


  1. Reflect regularly on decisions and actions, questioning whether your self-ambitions are outweighing the greater good interests of others or the organization.

  2. Practice truly listening when others speak—not interrupting, and not forming responses while another person is still talking.

  3. Learn to regularly solicit feedback on your personal leadership style from diverse sources.

  4. Trust team members with significant responsibilities to develop trust.

  5. Involve others in decision-making, ensuring perspectives are considered and unilateral decisions are avoided.

  6. Form a group of trusted advisors, internal and external to your organization, who can offer candid feedback and diverse perspectives on your leadership effectiveness and the impact of your decisions.


The Rational Solution


Despite its mostly negative effects, egocentric bias produces observable characteristics often favored by companies, including vision, confidence, conviction, determination, drive, assertiveness, courage, and tenacity—all of which can be positive leadership qualities when egocentrism is managed. 


In cases, an egocentric mind knot may be overly intense to the detriment of leadership effectiveness. A counter bias approach can be helpful in shifting egocentric bias from a knot that ties a leader down, to a knot that can give them speed and move them forward. The rational solution requires self-awareness and deliberate practice. If any of the questions above resonate with you personally or with respect to a leader in your organization, a this approach can be helpful. With awareness and intent, you can consciously adopt and leverage certain attributes associated with altruism bias that can counter strong egocentric tendencies.


This counter bias approach leverages value-driving characteristics of both egocentric bias and altruism bias - not at the exclusion of either - rather, by harnessing the positive forces of both simultaneously. It's not easy, but possible.


Consider these options:

  • Develop self and organizational practices that foster self-awareness, transparency, humility, along with 'altruistic', or others-leaning behaviors.

  • Identify, observe, and engage a business partner who leans in the direction of altruism bias, as an accountability partner.

  • Set short-term 'ego improvement sprints' to track the decisions you make and the actions you take. Then schedule time a coach, or a business partner to reflect and evaluate progress. Address ego-related challenges and adjust strategies.

You've heard and experienced this before - as the leader goes, so goes the organization. So, consider an enterprise-wide egocentric bias awareness program to heighten awareness and provide training on ego management. Provide training and strategies designed to mitigate egocentrism, and include training on altruism bias, as well as humility, emotional intelligence, trust, and collaboration.


Bottom line, when the strategies above are implemented—and when attributes of egocentric bias work in concert with traits of altruism—selfishness meets selflessness, and the journey completely changes. Breakthroughs occur. Journeys and missions become inclusive, and outcomes can be remarkably positive…even extraordinary.


Remember, it's important to know your knots - the knots that can tie you down, and the knots that can give you speed and move you forward.


To learn more about managing egocentric bias and other mind knots that get in the way of effective leadership, and most importantly, how you can identify and manage these biases click this link - Mind Knots: Understanding The Cognitive and Emotional Biases That Prevent Rational Leadership. In addition, visit https://mindknots.co where you'll find information on many more mind knots that prevent rational leadership in business and in life.


Lisa Tromba is Managing Partner of Lisa Tromba Associates, formerly Luisi Tromba Advisors, which she co-founded, and she is the Founder of Leadership Intelligence Services, LLC. For more than 25 years, Tromba has guided companies from mid-market enterprises to Fortune 100 powerhouses in searching for and selecting their executive leadership.


Today, she caters to lower- to mid-market companies in search of executive leadership. Her high-touch, high-impact, solution-oriented approach includes leadership assessment and the impact of psychological bias on leadership.


Tromba has spoken on leadership topics to corporate, trade, and academic audiences, including Executive MBA participants. Publications that have featured her work include Authority Magazine, Training Industry Online, Chief Executive Magazine, the AMA Quarterly, and she is quoted in the book From Cinderella to CEO.

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