CEO's Key Advice: 'Leave Your Ego At Door'—What Employees Should Avoid In Their Behaviour

New York: Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter, believes that self-awareness is a very important he looks in his employees above all else. He thinks that people lacking self-awareness are often driven by ego and less inclined to collaborate. They usually put their own desires ahead of their team’s and customers’ needs.

"In contrast, self-aware employees are more open to feedback, ideas, and collaboration. This trait can enhance communication, relationships, creativity, and productivity. Despite the widespread belief in self-awareness, research shows that only a small percentage of people truly possess it. I try to keep my ego at the door. I'm wrong all the time. I have an incredible team that's super smart and will put me in my place, and I love that," Taylor told as US TV network. 

I Keep My Ego At Door, I am Wrong All The Time 

Taylor is committed to developing his own self-awareness. He highlights the value of humility and admits that he frequently makes mistakes. In his job interviews, he includes questions about self-awareness and ego management. By asking candidates to discuss their past mistakes and their responses to them, Taylor evaluates their capacity for accountability and learning. He believes that those who have difficulty with this are likely to lack self-awareness.

"You can really tell," says Taylor. "The people that aren't self-aware, they really struggle with this."

Excessive Use of 'I' Indicates Lack of Humility

Other hiring managers also use comparable methods to gauge self-awareness in candidates. For instance, Claire Hughes Johnson, a former VP at Google, asks candidates how their colleagues would describe them. She then explores the constructive feedback they've received and evaluates their openness to learning and improving.

Hughes Johnson believes that excessive use of "I" can indicate a lack of humility, while excessive use of "we" may suggest an inability to take credit appropriately.

"how their colleagues would describe them. If they only say good things, I probe what constructive feedback they've received," she stated last year. 

"Then I'll say, 'And what have you done to improve?' to check their orientation towards learning and self-improvement, and to see whether they've taken that feedback to heart," she continued.