print story _ 5 tips to keep your ego in check - ems1
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/13/2019 Print Story_5 tips to keep your ego in check-EMS1
1/1
13/01/14 Print Story : 5 tips to keep your ego in check - EMS1.com
www.ems1.com/print.asp?act=print&vid=1645139 1/1
Related Articles:
10 attributes of a strong leader
Building an enduring legacy
Related content sponsored by:
Elements of Leadershipby Chris Cebo llero
01/07/2014
5 tips to keep your ego in check
Balance confidence and arrogance or your leadership will sink
Im sure it comes to you as no s urprise, but EMS is a very egotistical bus iness . Its that ego that keeps us from asking
the question Why? we dont want to look as if we dont know what we are talking about in front of our peers.
We all know those EMS leaders who take themselves too
seriously and lead with their ego. Those are the folks that,
when they look behind them, soon find they have no followers.
In this article, lets take a look at the ego and how we can
keep that pesky little guy in check.
Ego, defined
The term ego comes from the work of Sigmund Freud,
considered the founding father of psychoanalysis. In 1923,
Freud structured the human psyche into three parts: the id, the
ego and the super ego.
Briefly, the id includes basic drives and passions. The super ego is the conscience, punishing us with guilt when we
do something wrong. Ego is in the middle, managing the desires of the id, while protecting itself from the super
egos s ense of perfection.
Egos role is to protect the image you have of yourself. It will fight to protect that image whenever it seems threatened.
Ego as a defensive mechanism
Think about your days on the streets as p roviders. Whenever som eone ques tioned or criticized your medical care, how
did you react? We often became defensive.
In EMS, we want to have confident EMTs and paramedics. However, at times this confidence can push beyond a
healthy amount and border on the egotistical. Leaders including us are not imm une.
As you trans ition into a leadership role, the ego can becom e even m ore inflated, and the defense m echan ism s even
more exaggerated. As an EMS leader, allowing your emotions to dictate your actions s econdary to an overinflated ego
is a true recipe for destruction.
5 tips to manage your ego
It is crucial that you constantly work on balancing and adjusting your ego to the appropriate level. Here are som e ways
to keep it in check:
1. Make situations safer for everyone. In EMS, we have to ask the tough questions sometimes. Doing it in a non-
threatening way develops a s afe and trusting environment for you and your subordinates . If you can help yourself and
others feel safe, you can join together and move forward toward positive goals.
2. Manage your own tendencies to overreact. When your leadership is criticized and you feel threatened, you may want
to put the other person in their place. Step outside of this emotion for a moment. Ask yourself how you would want
someone to address you in that situation. If you dont want to be treated that way, then you can bet the other person
doesnt want to be, either.
3. Overcome the urge to be right every time.Ego definitely comes into play when we make ourselves right andothers wrong. When you believe that you have all the ans wers or use a my way or the highway approach, you truly
put your leadership creditability into question. Instead, use win-win thinking and behaviors to create a more cohes ive
team approach.
4. Get over your sense of entitlement.As a leader, remem ber where you came from. You work for your em ployees, not
the other way around. Believe in the powe r of servant leadership, and that will keep you humble.
5. Stop complaining.In your leadership role, it might seem easy to complain or point fingers in the direction of your
team. Complaining about others is a method used to assert the wrong in others and the rightness within you.
Everyone makes mistakes! Instead of complaining, break down the barriers of blame and create an environment
where less ons are learned with every mis take, and steps are taken to keep the mistake from happening again.
About the author
Chris Cebollero is a nationally recognized Emergency Medical Services leader, author, and advocate. With close to 30 years
experience directing and coordinating hundreds of Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, dispatchers, and support staff.
Currently Chris is the Chief of Christian Hospital EMS in North St Louis County.
Copyright 2014 - EMS1.com. All Rights Reserved.
http://ad.policeone.com/absolutebm/abmc.aspx?b=4139&z=578&p=http%3a%2f%2fad.policeone.com%2fabsolutebm%2fabsolutebm.aspx%3fz%3d578%26isframe%3dtrue%26autorotate%3dtruehttp://www.ems1.com/ems-advocacy/articles/926108-Building-an-enduring-legacyhttp://www.ems1.com/ems-advocacy/articles/926108-Building-an-enduring-legacyhttp://www.ems1.com/ems-management/articles/1505825-10-attributes-of-a-strong-leader/http://ad.policeone.com/absolutebm/abmc.aspx?b=4139&z=578&p=http%3a%2f%2fad.policeone.com%2fabsolutebm%2fabsolutebm.aspx%3fz%3d578%26isframe%3dtrue%26autorotate%3dtrue