Characteristics of Ego driven leaders

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.