10/09/2025

To be a Good CEO, Start Dismantling Your Ego

Many executives should practice greater humility

When asked, 88 percent of Americans will say they're above average drivers. In the ability to get along with others, 25 percent of students rate themselves in the top 1 percent. When couples are asked to estimate their individual contributions to household work, the combined total routinely exceeds 100 percent. These are all statistical impossibilities. They are also great examples of how we're predisposed to overrate our abilities and contributions.

As an aspiring CEO candidate, it's important to have the humility to recognize your inherent, self-serving bias and counteract it through the following steps:

• Objectively assess your capabilities versus what’s needed
• Fill your skill gaps and gauge your progress on the way
• Refuse to play politics in the process

What the Company Needs

Assessing your capabilities starts with understanding what the company needs in its next leader. Brad Smith, the former CEO of financial software giant Intuit, uses a horse racing analogy: "The reason there are very few Triple Crown winners," he said, "is because the Kentucky Derby is a very different track from the Preakness, which are both different from the Belmont. The right horse will win on the right track. If you’re a candidate, first ask yourself in an intellectually honest way, 'What does the company most need?' and then 'Do I have that skill set today?'"

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.