It is incredibly empowering to be a woman in business today. To be able to make your own decisions, and run your own company.
It is a big ego boost! But hopefully not so big a boost that your ego gets in the way of your success.
Here are some tips on letting go of your ego because too much isn’t good and will get you in trouble in the long run.
What Women In Business Need To Know About Confidence And Ego
Confidence is when you feel self-assured because you recognize your strengths, capabilities and even weaknesses. It pushes you forward to achieve your goals and helps you recover if you hit a roadblock.
On the other hand, ego is an unhealthy sense of overconfidence and can hold you back from achieving true success. It is resistant to feedback or constructive criticism and can close your mind to new trends and solutions preventing growth.
What are the most significant negative risks of having too much ego on your business?
1. Not willing to listen
When too much ego is at play with women in business, you might lose your ability – or desire – to listen to other viewpoints, ideas and concerns and if your employees have contacted you regarding any safety concerns about the work area then you have to take care of it immediately because if anyone gets injured then they have the right to call a workers comp attorney. This is unfortunate because getting advice from friends, partners, suppliers and more – is a valuable way to get new ideas and perspectives.
2. Taking all the credit
Give credit where it is due. If an employee or business partner comes up with a great idea, acknowledge them instead of taking credit for their contributions. Don’t seek glory for yourself all the time. It breeds resentment and will demotivate everyone you work with daily.
3. Not accepting mistakes
No one is perfect. There are many women in business that have made mistakes and bounced back. Check out some of the testimonials we have in our “The Secret to Her Success” series.
How to let your ego go once and for all:
Accept you have one.
Acknowledging the existence of your ego will help you become aware of when it suddenly gets too big and the negative behaviors it brings.
You are Unique but not THAT unique.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. Yes, we know you have many achievements, and we congratulate you on all of them. However, you are not alone and that there are many other women in business currently on top of their game.
Embrace positive and negative feedback.
If you receive criticism, thank your customer for their feedback. Take what they said home, study it, analyze the situation and work on how to improve future results. Don’t take any feedback personally. No one is out to get you or make you and your business look bad. They are learning opportunities and will ultimately help with your company’s continued success.
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Check out this podcast episode: Is Your Business a Pain Killer or Vitamin?
