Let go my eggo ego!

Newsflash!

**** The main driver for anybody in position of leadership is EGO! ****

You may not always want to admit it and, when in balance, it mostly goes unnoticed but it does affect the decisions that we make. I have watched several companies grow their business for growth's sake, without focusing on maintaining a focused and well balanced, profitable portfolio.

We have ALL done this at one point in time or another.

How often have we dropped our pants to book one of our target accounts?  Did we make money on that deal? (Directly or indirectly?)

How many of us have strained our infrastructure and had to modify proven procedures in order to book that “Whale” account?

Given the opportunity, I am willing to bet we would all do this.

But, what happens when this becomes our normal course of business? What happens if we don't accurately predict the risk of the transaction?

A company that I worked with fell into the same trap. This company decided that they wanted a specific “whale” account. They attacked it and they got it. This process was repeated multiple times and led to exponential portfolio growth. Unfortunately, they got more than they bargained for. They did not take the time to thoroughly analyze their situation and the end result put them in violation of their bank covenants.

In summary, this leadership team became temporarily unbalanced and ego focused. They did not adequately balance their egotistical need with risk analysis or profitability expectations. In short, they did not think it through. As a result, they are no longer in business.

In short, and ego is not a bad thing. It drives business and encourages accomplishment. However, like everything else in our lives, it must be balanced with logic, understanding, and foresight.

As a side note, thank you for the recommendations on replacing my diet Pepsi habit. I started drinking more water, but now, flavored with MIO (http://www.kraftbrands.com/mio/).

Ride the WAVE!

John