Ego is the wrong-minded teacher who resides within the Decision-Maker’s mind, continually insisting that the world is a threat and that you must constantly fight to survive.
Ego is the direct opposite of Reason: The Right Mind. It is crucial to understand that these two states of mind can never co-exist at the same time. You are always believing and behaving according to one or the other.
Ego is fundamentally the creator of the “tiny, mad idea of separation“ presented in the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth. This philosophy dictates that you are separate from others and must therefore protect yourself, often leading to cynical, defensive, and aggressive behavior.
The Ego’s Strategy: Attack and Defense
Ego believes everyone is inherently out to get you.
It directs the Decision-MakerThe Right Choice Model uses the term “Decision-Maker” to describe the part of you that chooses to listen to Ego or Reason. More to adopt the destructive rule: “Do unto others before they do unto you.” This survival strategy guarantees conflict, chaos, and fear, placing the team firmly in the Battleground where people are punished for mistakes. When a teammate listens to Ego, they are choosing the path of victimization over accountability. This manifests in destructive attitudes:
- Attack and Defend
- Punishment instead of Correction
- The refusal to Forgive
The Behavioral Trigger: The Ego Attack
The primary and most recognizable outcome of following the Ego is the Ego Attack. This is a flash of negative, out-of-control emotion that occurs when the Decision-Maker incorrectly believes an external event or person caused their negative feeling.
When this trigger occurs, the teammate becomes mindless. Their body language, tone of voice, and words become mean-spirited. An Ego attack is the direct opposite of a Moment of Reason.
The Right-Minded Choice
The key to abandoning the Ego is for the Decision-Maker to recognize that the negative feeling originates internally, not externally.
As soon as you realize you are experiencing an Ego attack, you must train your mind to stop and withdraw your projection. By admitting, “I am out of my right mind,” you withdraw the power you gave to the Ego and prepare yourself to return to the Classroom to find a solution that allows the team to Do No Harm. Work as One.
Action
To learn more about the Right-Minded philosophy, pick up a copy of Reason, Ego & the Right-Minded Teamwork Myth: The Philosophy and Process for Creating a Right-Minded Team That Works Together as One.
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