November 5, 2009...10:18 am

Characteristics of Ego driven leaders

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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.

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