The scenes have played out on television, computer, and movie screens, and
in magazines and newspapers nationwide over the past few years: a major
company spectacularly crashes amid accusations of impropriety, its chief
officers led off in handcuffs. With both productivity and executive
compensation at all-time highs, what compels these business leaders to
behave in such arrogant and reckless ways, risking the financial viability
of their companies, destroying shareholder faith, and suffering personal
humiliation?
In Ego Check: Why Executive Hubris Is Wrecking Careers and Companies—And How to Avoid the Trap, former investment banker and venture capitalist Mathew Hayward examines what separates highly confident and successful executives from falling victim to their own hubris. As the stories unfold, a familiar theme emerges—a high-profile executive measures success solely by extrinsic praise and rewards while ignoring the signs that overconfidence has seeped into his or her decision-making ability. The warning signs are common to all of us: getting too full of ourselves, failing to get out of our own way, kidding ourselves about our situation, and not effectively managing the consequences of our decisions ahead of time.
Hayward tracks the creative development of the Segway, explores how Steve Jobs tapped his genius to revitalize Apple, profiles WPP’s descent into “benattigate,” and charts Vivendi’s implosion to distinguish between false and authentic confidence, recognizing that successful executives and entrepreneurs must be highly confident to succeed. By tapping into the stories of the more than 200 executives he interviewed and by drawing on his academic background in cognitive psychology and professional experience, Hayward reveals in Ego Check the crucial links between solid executive decision making and major business outcomes, and offers concepts and frameworks on the benefits of a healthy ego.
In Ego Check: Why Executive Hubris Is Wrecking Careers and Companies—And How to Avoid the Trap, former investment banker and venture capitalist Mathew Hayward examines what separates highly confident and successful executives from falling victim to their own hubris. As the stories unfold, a familiar theme emerges—a high-profile executive measures success solely by extrinsic praise and rewards while ignoring the signs that overconfidence has seeped into his or her decision-making ability. The warning signs are common to all of us: getting too full of ourselves, failing to get out of our own way, kidding ourselves about our situation, and not effectively managing the consequences of our decisions ahead of time.
Hayward tracks the creative development of the Segway, explores how Steve Jobs tapped his genius to revitalize Apple, profiles WPP’s descent into “benattigate,” and charts Vivendi’s implosion to distinguish between false and authentic confidence, recognizing that successful executives and entrepreneurs must be highly confident to succeed. By tapping into the stories of the more than 200 executives he interviewed and by drawing on his academic background in cognitive psychology and professional experience, Hayward reveals in Ego Check the crucial links between solid executive decision making and major business outcomes, and offers concepts and frameworks on the benefits of a healthy ego.
