Here’s a link to a blog post on sniffing out ego driven leaders (teachers, pastors, future employees, etc.) you might find helpful. Cavman, a thoughtful pastor, lists a set of characteristics about ego driven individuals that he gleaned from a book by Roger Parrott. He, Cavman, writes,
He [Parrott] offers some of the signs that a person is probably driven by ego (getting attention) rather than ambition (advances in the kingdom).
- Live Flamboyantly- drawn to lavishness in things and people.
- Inflate Vision- consistently over-promise and under-deliver.
- Act Invincible- winning is more important than what is prudent and wise.
- Ignore Critics- discredit or ignore those with different ideas, or who offer constructive criticism.
- Crave Adrenaline- gain energy in flagrant risk.
- Exaggerate Actions- exhaust rather than equip their staff.
- Become Sensitive- very thin-skinned, they either attack or isolate.
- Attract Groupies- people who will not/cannot challenge them. They feed their attention addiction.
- Demand Appreciation- like a drug addict.
- Require Empathy- without offering empathy.
- Listen Poorly- they don’t want instruction, correction or good ideas.
- Enjoy Competition- gaining attention by prevailing over others.
- Control Obsessively- uncomfortable when they are not in control.
- Ignore Boundaries- they assume they are better than others, and not subject to the same rules.

4 Comments
November 5, 2009 at 10:41 am
Where is the rate yourself 1-10 scale?
It might be fun to try and find a Proverb or narrative to cover each one of these.
November 6, 2009 at 11:10 pm
That is definitely a list that we all need to think and pray hard about never becoming. A little insecurity or control issue and we could find ourselves being ego-driven, poor leaders, and thereby misrepresenting God. scary and humbling.
November 11, 2009 at 2:39 pm
The book is The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders. http://www.thelongview.info
November 11, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Hey, thanks for prompting us to see your title. I didn’t realize I failed to list your book title. Thanks for pointing out these issues. I look forward to reading it.