Confronting the Culture of the "Big Me" Inside our Companies
Alex Pollock
August 24, 2015
Columnist David Brooks calls this culture that nourishes this personal self-inflation that emphasizes wealth, fame and status "the Big Me." In his book the "Road to Character" (2015), he challenges us, and himself, to strike a better balance between the "resume virtues" and the "eulogy virtues" like kindness, bravery, honesty, self sacrifice, humility and faithfulness. After all a "Big Me" can cast a shadow, whether it's intentional or not, that produces a "Little You."
I'm encouraged by people that consistently remind me, and show me, that in spite of all the changes spinning around us, how we engage the human heart and elevate the human spirit has not changed. The leaders under which I have thrived have not been "Big Me" people. They persistently and humbly lead along the grain of human nature rather than pushed against it. They saw themselves as stewards of the organization, and as such, aimed to pass it along in a better condition than they found it.They realized that meeting this objective took all of us playing our part... a team effort.
It seems to me that people consistently yearn to be part of great organizations where they are respected and their talents are valued,developed and rewarded. But unfortunately, we seem unable or unwilling, according to Gallup, to elevate the number of "engaged" employees beyond 30 percent in the United States, despite over ten years of collecting data. (Examine the Gallup Q12 for additional details.)
Any thoughts on how this culture has emerged? How do you think the "Big Me" culture contributes to this human potential "value" remaining untapped?
Topics:
Leadership & Careers
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About the Author
Alex Pollock
Alex Pollock has been studying leadership effectiveness for more than 30 years. A former leader in environment, health and safety, and public affairs at The Dow Chemical Co., he learned that we all have leadership roles to play. He enjoys discussing new ideas and sharing practical ways we can all become better leaders.