I have read many books on leadership throughout my graduate studies in organizational leadership and management, and throughout my own career in management. While this is not specifically a book on leadership or management, it has become absolutely clear that success in these fields requires an understanding of how ego affects one’s self, and others in a professional setting. What I appreciated most about this book over all the others is it’s candid approach to identifying the effects of ego on individuals, organizations, and on society as a whole. The author’s straightforward examples will repeatedly provoke the reader to recall their own real-life experiences where someone’s ego has impacted their personal or professional life. Maybe these realizations will involve past events or occurrences where the reader didn’t recognize ego as a factor until the author’s examples made comparisons to such past events so clear. Throughout the book, I found myself saying, “Damn! I did that, and it really was my ego that was running things. I should have thought it through better. It cost me....”
Quite frankly, I have nothing but praise for this book, which I believe is a “must-read” for managers within any profession. It is neither oversimplified, nor overstated. In fact, the author drives his points home through multiple approaches and with a diverse array of references to historical figures and events, which exemplify both the control of ego and the lack thereof. The book is beyond a mere self-help resource, and is actually quite interesting to read. The author is obviously well-prepared and has done the reader the favor of dissecting individual, organizational and political actions through a specialized lens that ferrets out how ego has led to failure. These examples are not archaic parables, but include modern business figures, both well known and virtually unknown. Yet he does not simply call out failures of renowned egotistical figures, but offers analysis of how successful individuals chose the high ground over receiving personal praise in order to produce favorable outcomes on a much larger scale and for the greater good. Perhaps more importantly, he provides an equal number of examples were a humble individual or approach led to success on many levels. In the end, the reader will hopefully and candidly assess himself/herself, or as was the case for me, become more self-aware and see the glaring comparisons to my own past acts of egotistical actions. If one accepts the author’s many examples that support the assertion that ego holds so many of us back from our potential, then his ensuing suggestions and stoic philosophies become meaningful propositions worthy of our considerations.
I did not find the book preachy or sanctimonious. I didn’t feel the author was pushing any specific dogma, but he does use the platform of stoicism as the guide here. Nonetheless, subsequent to laying out his case, the author’s pronouncemnts appear less as indictments of people, but rather the specific natural human tendency that is stronger is some of us than it may be in others: unchecked self-indulgent ego and the overemphasis on one’s own importance. The author challenges us to think back to the reason we started a career, chose a profession, accepted an assignment or launched a project. Was the purpose to feed our own egos, or did that proclivity sneak in somewhere along the way. The author aptly discusses the paradox wherein we must either choose to complete the job we originally were tasked to do, or merely to achieve recognition without truly accomplishing as much as we would have without expending the energy and capital seeking personal accolades.
I found the author’s choice of content and his writing style to be inspiring, while still being very readable and relatable.
I would propose that those considering this book are somehow aware that they could be affected by their own egos. Perhaps someone suggested it to them, or maybe a review or ad made them curious about how their ego might be at work. The paradox, of course, is that many people with pronounced egos will reject overtures into the examination of their own egos, as self-awareness is not a common trait among egotistical people. Hopefully, they will be motivated by some measure to start reading this book. As for me, the way I came to read the book is unimportant here, but within the first few pages, I found myself intrigued and looked forward to each reading session until I had finished. Aside from the impact it has had on me of purposefully controlling my own ego, a never-ending task indeed, the book has also launched me into seeking a better understanding of stoicism, and practicing it in my daily life. Now, as an instructor of organizational leadership, I’ve incorporated into my presentations quite a bit of the author’s teachings and even quotes from his book (because he seems to capture some points so well that I could find no renowned scholars or historical figures that said it better). I certainly hope we see more offerings of this caliber and practical utility from author Ryan Holiday.
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Ego Is the Enemy
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As an immigrant who migrated from the Caribbean to US. I grew up in what’s known as a ghetto and did a lot of petty crimes to get by with that being said, I’ve been trying to rewire myself and my brain to be a better man through several books and therapy sessions. I must admit that this book have taught me some powerful lessons that I desperately needed on my journey as a 25 year old black immigrant in this new country. I will indeed take these lessons and keep trying to apply them to my daily life for the rest of my life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone facing any adversity or self doubt. Ps I’m a much better person now than I’ve ever been.
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