Did You Feel That Fall?
I’m trying to decide which is worse:
The proverbial fall from pride or an actual fall.
I’ve experienced both. And both are painful.
I think I’d have to pick the “pride goes before a fall” type. It lingers longer.
Every so often in our careers, we’re at a place where we have the opportunity to be “puffed up,” the ego inflates, and we are proud of where we are. We’ve “arrived” and it feels good because we’re “on top of the world!”
When left unchecked, pride grows into arrogance. And that character trait isn’t one many co-workers like.
In my old profession of architecture, there used to be an industry joke that some designers’ egos were so big they wouldn’t fit in the door. They could also be called “Black Cape Architects.” The term implies a type of architect who is ego-centric and while great at design, his/her approach to design direction is authoritative/dictatorial rather than collaborative.
I was never the best design architect. I was more technical and project management-oriented. So even while I witnessed the extreme drama that could come from the designers, it didn’t mean I was immune to trying to create some of my own theatrics in my lane.
This is the danger of an unchecked ego. And it’s one we have to fight daily.
On a more personal level, when I was making a big attempt to grow my business, I was completely unaware of how pride had crept in. Spoiler alert: there was a big fall! And looking back, I can see where I took the opportunity to share how much I was growing… how much money the business would bring in… and probably how amazing I was at solving this unique problem in the career coaching space. (insert the eye-roll).
The truth is we can be great, excellent, and superb at what we are uniquely created to do, and still do that with humility.
In research for this article, it’s no surprise I was drawn to Jeff Hyman sharing insights on this very topic. He’s in the recruiting space and it’s from that vantage point I wanted to address a few things.
See if this sounds like you:
When someone approaches you about a new opportunity, you’re immediately puffed up with a sense of importance because you get these calls all the time.
You’re curt when answering questions about your experience because you are (insert big title) at (company) and this feels like a waste of time.
You feel the person reaching out is beneath your level of importance.
If any of those have a hint of relevance in your life, it’s a warning that pride has crept in.
This doesn’t mean you have to take every recruiter call! I coach clients about the importance of understanding the ones that are worth their time for the sake of progress in the Job Search.
It does mean that you want to check the ego and return to a posture of humility that you once had before the elevated position.
I hope I’ve provided enough examples to say, “I’ve been there too, folks!” It’s so easy to get into a pattern of “greatness” when it’s humility that everyone loves to circle around and support.
I liked this quote in Jeff Hyman’s article:
“So, what makes humility such an important quality?
Humble leaders understand that they are not the smartest person in every room. Nor do they need to be. They encourage people to speak up, respect differences of opinion, and champion the best ideas, regardless of whether they originate from a top executive or a production-line employee.
When a leader works to harness input from everyone, it carries through the organization. As other executives and line managers emulate the leader’s approach, a culture of getting the best from every team and every individual takes root.”
As a Recruiter, I witness the ego more than I do as a Career Coach. I think it’s because to seek out coaching, there is a posture of humility that comes in doing that. So maybe it’s as simple as realizing that we all need a little help most of the time….