Dealing with ego in the workplace.

What’s wrong with a little competition?

Egos exist in all industries, some more than others. There is a difference, however, between having a big ego (or weak ego) and a strong ego (or a strong personality). I am the latter.

Having a big ego is often used in the negative and, as I have learned in my research, is akin to having a “weak” ego. The person with the “big” or “weak” ego needs constant validation and feels threatened by anyone whom they perceive to be more intelligent, more attractive, or having more of any desirable trait than they perceive themselves to have.

A strong ego, on the other hand, is often described as having a strong personality. Have you ever heard someone say, “We couldn’t work together because we both have strong personalities?” But what does that really mean?

Contrary to the interchangeable usage of the two words, there is a distinction between “ego” and “personality.” They are not the same thing. A person can be charming, attractive, nurturing, kind, generous — these are all personality traits. They are traits that a person displays outwardly. The ego, however, is the part that is hidden underneath or in the inner persona. In psychoanalysis terms, the ego is the superficial part of the id (our impulses or inclinations).