egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability) [Hardcover]

David Marcum (Author), Steven Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 4, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this flawed, uneasy mix of business analysis and psychological study, business consultants Marcum and Smith offer a defense of ego and its broadly misunderstood counterpart, humility, along with a discussion of how to maneuver ego to effectively encourage individual talent and sound business practice. Though the very word has negative connotations, the authors see ego as a vital asset to business growth. Employees who handle ego effectively are more confident, assertive and willing to listen to others and thus more equipped to compete and excel. Those who don't are forced to work from a place of defensiveness and an oversensitivity to outside judgment. Marcum and Smith effectively demonstrate the benefits of successful ego management in situations as varied as Fred Rogers's fight to keep government funding for PBS and Sojourner Truth's Ain't I a Woman speech, but their plans for ego management in the workplace are vague, confusingly organized and unspecific. The authors have backgrounds in business and psychology, but skim too swiftly over both to be satisfying on either level. Without firm strategy, this is a magazine article stretched to book length, neither informative nor particularly entertaining. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; 1st Fireside Hardcover Ed edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416533230
• ISBN-13: 978-1416533238
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what makes ego work @ work, September 4, 2007

By 

J. Lundquist - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability) (Hardcover)

When I read this book I had two thoughts: 1) as the leader of my company, why haven't I looked more closely, until now, at my own ego, and 2) why is it that, as the authors ask in the book, we get so protective of our egos when the topic surfaces? What are we afraid of? It's soon clear in the book that the authors have no interest in removing ego from anyone or anywhere, especially business; just better management of it.

I think everyone will find very individual answers in this work; it became clear to me the further I read that the "answers" in this book have as much to do with self-reflection and a precise self-awareness as they do for the methodologies of communication and teamwork that they purport. In terms of that awareness, for me at least, it's difficult to let go of what's worked in the past to try something new, and the authors are clearly asking us to consider a different way to work. Not unimaginable, but certainly a different "level." The three principles they focus their work on--humility, curiosity, and veracity--seemed a very solid balance to the "power of ego." The four early warning signs of mismanaged ego outline why ego gets the best of us at times.

I expected a more pure psychological read, and instead found myself comparing their writing along the lines of investigative business journalists rather than psychologists. If you're interested in the purely academic/Freudian side of ego, this isn't for you. I don't think the authors intended it for that (very much focused on the workplace). If you're looking for more of a "Blink" or "Wisdom of Crowds" POV, then this book is terrific.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh look at a sensitive topic, September 3, 2007

By 

P. Brooks (Bloomington, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability) (Hardcover)

Egonomic is a fresh look at a sensitive topic which is rarely addressed in business or leadership books. Most of us see the negative impact of the ego in our daily settings. Rarely is there a book which emphasizes the positive power and impact of the ego as a business resource. The organization's which leverage this valuable resource as an asset will have more positive trends on their financial results.

The first chapter presents compelling evidence from business people's estimate on how the ego negatively impacts annual revenue. It also demonstrates how the ego gives leaders confidence to demonstrate their greatest strengths, however, these same strengths can become counterfeit weakenesses. When an organization invests in our greatest strengths, it also inherits the potential of the counterfeit weaknesses as well.

What really got my attention is the statement toward the end of the first chapter which points out how "when the pervasive power of ego shakes, everything on our task list--the way we collaborate, think, decide, execute--shakes with it." How true this is. The book then goes on to objectively explore three core principles and how to ensure the ego is an asset.

I really appreciated how the three core principles of egonomics and the "deep dive" into each one provided the reader clearer understanding of how to minimize the shaking of our own egos or to recogize when someone else's ego is shaking. This books is a good read for anyone who desires to have a continual positive impact on the organization and it's business results.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Leaders, September 4, 2007

By 

Oscar Herrin "VP of Learning and Development,... (Burbank, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: egonomics: What Makes Ego Our Greatest Asset (or Most Expensive Liability) (Hardcover)

David Marcum and Steve Smith may have stumbled on a perspective many ignored for its complexity and raw form. I find the ideas insightful and relevant to Leaders in many levels. It is a great discussion on EGO and its unique ability to shape the environment. Egonomics transforms a hard to tackle topic into an everyday measure of performance and business relevance.

Egonomics is an awareness of truth in Leadership.