Houston PR pro John Wagner hops on the analyst’s couch to point out that “as communications professionals, we often have to deal with oversized egos — clients, executives, sources we need for information, etc. So we develop a capacity for acceptance that would be painful to others.”
John’s right; we are required to deal with egos more than most. And how we manage this can really make or break us, psychologically and emotionally. For me, the key is to understand that the capacity to manage egos (those of others as well as our own) is a strength, not a weakness, and to take pride in this.
I look at my own experience: When I was younger, I could be pretty obnoxious and arrogant. Over time, I traced this to insecurities I harbored. Today, when I deal with people who are all ego, I figure it’s the same story.
Egotists often fear that being open to other people and perspectives makes them appear weak. The reality is, being unthreatened by others’ ideas is the most genuine reflection of self-confidence.
I just keep that in mind whenever I have to deal with a megalomaniac — and I’ve had to deal with a few.
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“For me, the key is to understand that the capacity to manage egos (those of others as well as our own) is a strength, not a weakness, and to take pride in this.”
Scott … this is an excellent point and one that all young PR people should understand.
I once watched as a young intern handling giveaways at a client event was blasted by a woman who accused him of “throwing a T-shirt” at her daughter.
In truth, he had been swamped by people and had accidently dropped the shirts in the tussle.
He handled her outburst with grace and diplomacy … and I knew then that he would be okay in this business.
I think that dealing well with an egomaniac is a key to dealing with success, I would feel rewarded in discovering the real person behind the blanket of protecting his or her insecurities.But I think egomania is more complex, often rooted in intolerance towards other cultures and ways of living. Competition is a threat so other modes of expression are denegrated. Throwing out attitudes of superiority come into play and can often cloud their reasoning at socializing with people who have other talents often considered as “inferior”. It’s like the person can’t accept other lifestyles and modes of expression because they are different from “his”. It’s as if he thinks his opinions are so unique that everything else is trash or of “another world”. The person creates a discourse defending his “distinctive” way of being and hits out at others for their “inferior” choices. Travelling to poorer nations where people are happy with a lot less material would be a good remedy at resetting what “inferior” or “another world really is.