Managing Ego in Creative Team Collaboration

When your team has better ideas than you As a leader, there's nothing quite like the humbling experience of having your ideas gently (or not so gently) dismantled by your team. I encourage my team to challenge the status quo—even if it means questioning my ideas (which they enjoy a bit too much!). But hey, who doesn't love a good reality check over their morning coffee? For years, leadership was associated with being the person in the room with all the answers. But let's be honest—no one has all the answers, not even the person who swears they know the secret ingredient in their grandmother's legendary chili (it's cinnamon, by the way). Leadership expert Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, emphasizes the importance of "Level 5 Leaders" who display humility & empower others to contribute. Research by Anita Woolley at CMU suggests that collective intelligence—a group's ability to perform a wide variety of tasks—is not determined by the smartest individual but by how well the group works together. In other words, a team that communicates effectively & values everyone's input can outperform groups that don't. Allowing your team to question you isn't just about humility (though it does keep the ego in check). It fosters innovation. Google's famous "20% time" policy encourages employees to spend a portion of their time on projects they are passionate about, leading to products like Gmail & AdSense. Sure, it stings a little when your team pokes holes in your plan, but consider this: Would you rather find out the flaws now or after your project has taken a nosedive? Encouraging open dialogue creates a safety net where ideas can be tested & improved upon. Plus, watching your team gleefully deconstruct your proposal can be oddly entertaining—like watching a pack of wolves tackle a particularly feisty piece of meat. How do you cultivate a team that challenges you? • Create a safe environment: Make it clear that all ideas are welcome, even those that contradict yours. Maybe avoid doing this before your second cup of coffee. • Ask open-ended questions: Instead of "Do you agree?" try "What are your thoughts on this proposal?" This opens the floor for discussion rather than simple yes-or-no answers. • Embrace the "yes, &..." approach: This technique from improv comedy encourages building on ideas rather than shutting them down. It also makes meetings feel more like a fun game than a tedious obligation. • Celebrate the challengers: Recognize & reward those who dare to speak up. This reinforces the behavior & makes others more likely to join in. Just don't let it go to their heads—they might start challenging you on your choice of tie. By fostering an environment where challenging the status quo is not just allowed but encouraged, you unlock the full potential of your team's collective intelligence. Plus, you get the added bonus of keeping yourself humble—& isn't that what leadership is all about? #Leadership #Management #Ideas #Teamwork

What’s your workplace environment like? In my experience leading teams and facilitating collaboration, I prioritize emotional intelligence over intellectual intelligence. This graphic illustrates my perspective well. While working with intelligent individuals is advantageous, it is not enough. Intelligence can solve problems, but humility and kindness create cultures that prevent issues from arising in the first place. Here’s why this distinction matters: Kind and humble individuals: - Facilitate effortless collaboration. There’s no need to defend ideas or egos, allowing teams to build together more quickly, efficiently, and with greater trust. - Create psychological safety. When individuals feel respected, they are more likely to speak up, share innovative ideas, and admit mistakes early. This openness is vital for team innovation and growth. - Inspire long-term loyalty. Employees do not leave companies; they leave toxic dynamics. Collaborating with grounded and genuine teammates helps retain top talent. Ways to practice kindness and humility at work include: - Listening more than speaking. The loudest voice is not always the most impactful. Listening fosters connection and earns respect. - Giving credit generously. Acknowledging the contributions of others enhances trust and energy within the team. - Continuing to learn. Believing you have “arrived” can halt your growth. Maintain curiosity, stay open, and ensure that success does not make you unapproachable. Kind individuals build strong teams, and strong teams drive significant results.

Conflicts within a team are rarely about tasks alone—they often come from unresolved emotions like comparison, lack of recognition, or past grievances carried silently. When managers try to solve these issues by simply #grouping people together in the same assignment, it only masks the problem for a short time. The unspoken tensions will show up in missed deadlines, subtle resistance, or lack of trust. It’s important to realize that outer collaboration without inner healing is like painting over cracks in a wall—the structure still remains weak. True leadership requires going #deeper than surface solutions. Managers carry a responsibility not just to distribute work but to create an environment where inner conflicts can dissolve. This means moving from task management to people understanding. They can hold one-on-one conversations to listen without judgment, facilitate team circles where concerns can be voiced respectfully, and lead by example through fairness and humility. Introducing mindful check-ins, communicating transparently, celebrating small wins, and recognizing efforts equally helps reduce hidden competition. Over time, these practices shift the team’s energy from ego-driven reactions to collective trust. A manager who takes responsibility in this way does more than resolve conflicts—they cultivate a culture where people evolve, both as professionals and as human beings.

Leading her felt like driving a supercar in traffic. One wrong move and I’d slow her down. Managing someone who thinks faster than you can feel uncomfortable. You can see what they could do, but you’re still the one leading the room. If you handle it well, they lift the business. If you don’t, they feel stuck and think about leaving. This isn’t about proving you’re as smart as they are. It’s about using their strengths so the whole team does better. Here are 9 ways to manage people who are more brilliant than you, without holding them back: 1. Create a ‘no genius’ rule: nothing ships without being understood. ↳ If the team can’t explain it, it’s not ready. ↳ If people can’t follow the thinking, it’s a risk, not a strength. 2. Publicly hand them credit. Privately take the heat. ↳ Let them get the praise. You take the blame when things go wrong. ↳ That builds trust quickly. 3. Let them make you better in public. ↳ Say “I don’t know—how do you see it?” in the room. ↳ It keeps them engaged and shows that real strength is being open. 4. Tell them the truth they’re not used to hearing. ↳ “You’re brilliant. And when you move too fast, you leave people behind.” ↳ Clear, direct feedback is respect. 5. Build a partnership, not a hierarchy. ↳ You’re not there to keep them in their place. ↳ You’re there to work alongside them without turning it into a contest. 6. Give them problems, not instructions. ↳ Explain what needs to change and why. ↳ Let them work out how to do it. 7. Protect them from wasting their talent. ↳ Keep their work challenging and useful. ↳ If they feel boxed in or underused, they will leave. 8. Stop pretending you’re the smartest person in the room. ↳ If you try to outthink them, you lose trust. ↳ Your job is to set direction and make decisions stick. 9. Use your ego as a warning sign. ↳ The moment you feel defensive, pay attention. ↳ Step back, ask questions, and choose progress over pride. If working with them feels hard, you’re not failing. It often means your role has changed. Your job now is to make their best work possible. Give them space to think and aim them at problems that matter. When things go wrong, take responsibility. When things go well, give them the credit. In the end, people will care about what you built together and whether your best people chose to stay. 🔔 Follow Si Conroy and ♻️ Share if you like this. 📩 Weekly sanity in my ‘Founder Group Therapy’ newsletter: https://lnkd.in/erk_vfQc

The more mistakes a team makes, the more quickly they learn and more resilient they become… yet so many of the teams I work with are terrified of making a mistake! They have so much on their plates that they’re singularly focused on crossing things off their lists so the thought of experimenting with a new approach and having to redo it is soul-crushing. OR They’re operating within a prove-your-worth culture in which mistakes are attributed to personal failure and incompetence. OR There is no appetite for risk and the only acceptable way of working is to do things the way they’ve always been done. OR any number of other reasons top performers make themselves small instead of taking a risk that could be a win. This is bad for business. And for morale. When mistakes are seen as part of the process, teams feel safer taking risks, which leads to creative solutions and faster progress. Leaders need to focus on 3 things to encourage experimentation so their teams will risk making mistakes in pursuit of a win: ��. 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 When we meet failures with compassion, we soften the emotional blow and decouple it from identity. With compassion, the individual is not a failure (fixed mindset)… they’re an innovator who tried something that failed (growth mindset). ❇ Tip: Normalize mistakes and conversations about mistakes by conducting regular retros for missteps, large and small. Emphasize the key learnings and takeaways, not the flawed logic or approach. No blame, no ego threat, no identity crisis, no problem trying it again another way. 𝟮. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 When learning is valued over perfection, teams are more willing to experiment, try new approaches, and push boundaries. ❇ Tip: Reinforce growth mindset as a core cultural tenet. Encourage team members to set personal development goals and allocate a budget to it. Even a small contribution can have symbolic & cultural value. Reward effort and improvement, not just outcomes and encourage voluntary share-outs or team-wide trackers. 𝟯. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Experimentation increases both the absolute number of failures and the failure rate. AND Done with systems, strategy and intention, it also accelerates growth, discovery and successful solutions. Establishing a system for experimentation allows teams to test ideas in controlled, low-risk environments where failure is seen as a step toward success. ❇ Tip: Implement a process for innovation sprints in which team members are encouraged to suggest & test bold ideas with clear guidelines on how to analyze & iterate based on the outcomes. These shifts to culture and process can have a massive impact. Teams that are encouraged to make mistakes ✔ learn more quickly, ✔ are more resilient and ✔ are more likely to take smart risks that can lead to sustainable, step function success.

One of the most dangerous things in engineering and design isn’t a lack of knowledge. It’s ego. I’ve felt it in my own work. After enough projects, enough approvals, enough “wins,” it’s easy to start believing your first answer is the right one. That your experience alone is enough. That you don’t need to ask the extra question. Ego shows up quietly. It makes you defend instead of explore. It makes you talk instead of listen. And in our field where details drive cost, safety, and long-term performance that mindset can have real consequences. ⚠️ Confidence, on the other hand, is essential. We have to make decisions with incomplete information. We have to guide clients. We have to put our name on plans and stand behind them. 💼 The balance between confidence and ego is something I work on constantly. For me, that looks like: • Staying curious even on projects that feel familiar • Asking, “What am I missing?” before finalizing a solution • Inviting pushback from architects, contractors, and reviewers • Saying “I may be wrong” more often than “I know” • Remembering that the best designs I’ve been part of were true team efforts 🤝 In civil engineering and land development, the loudest voice in the room rarely produces the best outcome. The projects I’m most proud of came from collaboration, humility, and a shared commitment to getting it right. Confidence builds trust. Ego erodes it. I’m still learning that balance every day and honestly, that’s probably a good thing. 🌱 #CivilEngineering #Leadership #Design #ProfessionalGrowth #Collaboration #Placemaking

The moment ego enters a project, the truth quietly walks out. I see it in organizations everywhere. ⛔ A PM who needs to be the smartest in the room. ⛔ A team that stops raising real risks. ⛔ Status meetings where nothing honest gets said. When you manage through ego: • People manage the leader, not the work • Risks get buried • Decisions drag because no one wants to say the real thing This isn’t leadership. It’s ego wearing a leadership badge. True project leaders understand that: ✅ They listen before they speak ✅ They create trust through how they work ✅ They foster positive communication The patterns back this up. Teams led without ego consistently: • Raise issues earlier • Solve problems faster • Adapt without chaos • Stay aligned longer Ego might get short‑term compliance. But it kills long‑term delivery. The choice is simple. Lead with ego, and people shut down. Lead with service, and the work opens up. Your team can deliver real excellence. But only when the space is safe enough for the truth to show up. ♻️ 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁. 🌿 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 Christine DeVol, MBA, PfMP, PgMP, PMP, LSSBB, CSM, Prosci for more on human-centered leadership and project management that delivers. 🌳 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴? https://lnkd.in/eW_C9PX9

I've built and exited 6 businesses. There's one rule that's helped every team. Keep your ego out of the room. At any stage in your business, a person who can't see past their own ego is going to stunt your growth. I've seen firsthand how it can have a huge effect on everyone. If someone works with their ego in the driver's seat, the workload increases for everyone else and valuable team members become miserable. That's why it's important to watch out for the signs. Here's how it can look: 1️⃣ They struggle to accept feedback ↳ Oftentimes, they'll become defensive and push back before you get a word in. 2️⃣ They need to be the smartest in the room ↳ They're the first to correct but not with meaningful feedback. 3️⃣ They take credit but avoid accountability ↳ If something works, it's all because of them. But if it doesn't, you won't hear a peep. 4️⃣ They resist collaboration ↳ "I'll just do it myself" can be their default, even when others are willing to help. 5️⃣ They react emotionally to challenges ↳ At the slightest bit of feedback, they'll shut down or become passive-aggressive. 6️⃣ They avoid admitting mistakes ↳ They'll try to justify their decisions or twist the story in their favor. 7️⃣ They prioritize status over impact ↳ They seem more fixated on titles than being collaborative. I've put more help on how to combat each issue in the image below. Save it next time you need a reminder. If you see even one of these come up with a team, root it out fast. Have a conversation with them and see if anything changes. If they don't, that's a sign that they're not the right fit. Don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch. Have y'all ever had to make a tough call on your team? How did you navigate it? P.S. For daily posts on building strong teams, follow Lise Kuecker. And if y'all want to read more about what I've learned from building and exiting six businesses, sign up for my weekly newsletter, Growth Factor: bit.ly/Growth_Factor ♻️ Repost to share this with folks who'd appreciate it.