A lot depends on whether you win the battle.
Hopefully these books will help.
In my reading, Ive found that books on this topic fall into a few distinct categories.
God & Man
First are books of advice.
These are books that give us strategies and insights about how to stay balanced, clear-headed and humble.
This battle against ego is essential and one we find across cultures, schools and generations.
In fact, it would be hard to find any wise or successful person who didnt warn against ego.
If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity.
One of the best parts is The Impartial Spectator, a wonderful exercise to evaluate potential behavior.
God & Man
Would I be embarrassed?
Would I venture to rationalize this to them?
Would they respect it?
But heres the crazy thing about those leaders: Its rarely the person you think.
For instance, the Chicago Bulls were led to success not by Jordan but by Bill Cartwright.
She would unload the bus for her teammates at each stop).
As Frank Shamrock would say in the book: Ego is an evil thing.
Confidence is important but ego is something false.
Its not about how muchyoulove what youre doing, its about the value you create for other people.
A coach after all is fighting multiple battles daily: How do you keep one player from becoming complacent?
How do you build another one up without fanning the flames of ego?
How do you keep them all humble and hardworking?
Each book offers timeless lessons in one of the most challenging professions.
Its why the man has been able to build one of the greatest franchises in the history of sports.
Its just as valuable as the book.
But What If Were Wrong?
Youre probably not even in the ballpark.
Inspiration
Meditationsby Marcus Aurelius I would call this the greatest book ever written.
To remain humble and avoid the trappings of his position.
For instance, during World War II he was practically offered the command of the troops on D-Day.
It came to be that Eisenhower led the invasion and performed with excellence.
It was a bestseller in the UK and was featured ina 6 part series inThe Guardian.
Most people get worse as they get successful, many more get worse as they age.
Are you going to let this money puff you up?
Keep your eyes open.
Dont lose your balance.
Eventually, she became one of the best CEOs of the 20th century, period.
It wasnt ego that drove her success.
Because it wasnt abouther.
It was about preserving her familys legacy.
In fact, this was all a brilliant act because Eisenhower was a master of behind the scenes power.
He preferred to work behind the scenes, avoiding open conflict and quietly getting things done.
Cautionary Tales
What Makes Sammy Runby Budd Schulberg Sammy is the all-American heel.
Hes your Ari Gold without the slightest bit of human decency.
He rises through the ranks of Hollywood without ever writing a word.
He is shadows and illusions, and the ultimate power-player.
Sadly, as Schulberg mentions in his introduction, the message has been perverted.
Thats ego, baby.
Get out of your own head.
Which is why we ought to learn from his example before we find ourselves in a similar position.
Related, I also recommendTides of Warby Steven Pressfield (Alcibiades monstrous egofictionalized hereis a similar cautionary tale).
But ultimately, you know where the cliche must take us.
Robert Moses was an asshole.
And ultimately power turned him into something monstrous.
Very little are from actual people who aspired, achieved, and lost it.
Once the markets turned against his trades, he lost it all his fortune, job, and reputation.
Learn from stories like this instead of by your own trial and error.
Think about that next time you believe you have it all figured out.
Atlas Shruggedby Ayn Rand WhyAtlas Shrugged?
There is something deeply appealing to an egotistical teenager about leaving the world behind to selfishly pursue your craft.
The question is: Would you want everyone else to do that?
It is one of the best narrative business books out there.
He was brilliant creatively, but no amount of brilliance could compensate for the destructiveness of his ego.
It was ego and his inability to work well with others that drove him out of General Motors.
His ego mired his new company in chaos and dysfunction.
Its about painful failures.
The ones that get repeated over and over and over.
This book will humble future CEOs and keep them conservativewhich is an important balance for any ambitious person.
Here are some other quicker reads I recommend:
Read Dr. Reverend Sam Wells speech Outrageous Humility.
George Packers epicNew Yorkerpiece on Angela Merkel, The Quiet German, is fascinating.
There is also a fantastic andequally epic profile on her inVanity Fairby Maureen Orth.
A great essay from the investor Paul Graham is Keep Your Identity Small.
Cheryl Strayeds essay, Write Like a Motherfucker, is a classic.
You might also like this piece from me: The Fascinating and Ego-Killing Existence of Human Wormholes.
And of course it would be egotistical to actually believe my own headline.
Theres no way this list is actually definitive, but it is a start.
If you have any other recommendations or additions, just let me know!
