Circumstances of Me

A quartet of business bugaboos derails more projects, more careers, and more companies than all other factors combined: Turf, territory, title, and ego.

Let’s get one thing straight quick: Every successful manager in history has a strong ego and sense of self. Every one of them understood and appreciated the necessary boundaries of division of labor within a company and tried to mesh their operations or project goals with the company’s mission. Every single one of them sought advancement in the corporate ranks.

Having a strong ego is part of the developmental make-up of every successful manager. But having a big ego is not the same as being confident in one’s abilities and being to view one’s accomplishments and potential in a realistic spotlight. It’s a fact that many managers are not as good as they think they are; many managers sell their attributes short, and; many potential great managers have not developed the attitude nor temperament to believe in their own abilities.

An uphill climb can bring personal and professional rewards.

A strong ego, tempered by realism, is priceless to a steady, uphill climb on the corporate ladder. But developing an ego as a positive personality trait, like the making of a fine wine, must be constructed under strict parameters, with little room for experimentation.

Confidence is just another word for ego … minus the obnoxious gene.

Charge the roar!

The short missive below is a chapter in a completed, but as yet unpublished management guide titled "The Circumference of Me. The book is a compilation of short management lessons designed to aid college students, people entering the business world, managers stuck on an unpleasant rung in the business ladder, or experienced managers who simply need a motivational boost.


On the Serengeti plans of Africa lions hunt antelope. The prey is swift of foot; the hunters are not as fast. Regardless, lions have to eat. Presented with an age-old problem, the lions figured out how to change the way the game is played.

The old males lie in the tall grass. The younger members of the pride, mostly made up of females, stalk the antelope her, pushing them into the grass toward the old lions.

As if attached to a mental string, the stalking lions charge en mass an the antelopes sprint away crazy-fast until they get close to the old, hidden males. All the old lions have to do is stand up and ROAR! The single act terrifies the her into reversing its direction … straight into the ready claws and teeth of the pride.

The lions act on instinct, as do their prey. If the antelope could overcome their instinctive fear and CHARGE the ROAR, they would break through untouched.

The hesitation, the fear, that’s their undoing.

Charge the ROAR in your life. Recognize the fear for what it is and work to overcome it. You will find yourself in the open; you will be free. That’s when you catch your breath and learn how to smile again.