The other day I ran a seminar with three different company presidents in it, a host of supporting managers, and an Executive VP of a multinational conglomerate.
Wow...
Between the four of them and me there were some gigantic egos in the room.
Got me thinking about the role of Ego in successful consulting careers, and in the function of consulting in general.
In fact, literally every great consultant I have ever met has had an ego that could sink a battleship. John Moubray, my mentor, was a "Mozart" of the asset reliability field, a guy who could hold a room merely by entering it.
Alan Mather (no relation) is possibly the most intriguing fellow I have ever met. Confidence enough to tell anybody, anywhere in the world exactly what they were doing right or wrong, and to do so with an insight, intellect and vision that few are able to muster.
But being the CEO of the office of the E-Envoy in the UK, followed by a series of roles shutting down giant sized failing projects will do that to you I suppose.
Then there are the multimedia- mega stars (to quote Dame Edna), and the uncrowned king of consulting. Mr Alan Weiss.
As I have regularly pointed out this guy has influenced my career and my life more than most. But take one look at his books, blogs and articles and it immediately becomes clear that Alan is no shrinking violet; he has an extraordinary belief in his own intellect, talent and opinions.
And well he should I suppose, he is always well thought out, concise and insightful. If you want to consult - read Weiss.
This brings me (finally) to my point:
Is ego the result of a successful career of inspiring thousands, advising industry leaders and changing the course of nations and corporations?
Or... Is it our ego that gives us the will to strive to do these things?
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