Business success isn’t just about having a great idea, a solid plan, or even the right skills—it’s also about knowing when to let go of your ego.
I’ve said it before: You cannot support both your ego and family. You must learn to manage your ego if you want to grow in your career or business. If you don’t, you will struggle professionally, and eventually, your family will pay the price for your “ego-maintenance” costs.
The Reality of Ego in Business
This sentiment was powerfully echoed recently by a highly successful businesswoman as she shared her journey. Her words resonated deeply, painting a vivid picture of the sacrifices and humility required to build something from the ground up.
She said:
“Before starting our business, we had a respectable lifestyle while working in jobs. But once we left that stability to start on our own, the real challenges began. At first, nobody trusted us. Like most entrepreneurs, we had a vision for what we wanted to build, but vendors, customers, potential employees, and other stakeholders didn’t necessarily understand or believe in that vision. They judged us at face value. They didn’t take us seriously.”
She continued:
“We had to fight hard to build this business. We pleaded with people to get things done. We waited outside offices for hours just to get a five-minute meeting. We had to swallow our pride, again and again. And that’s when I realized: If you want to succeed in business, you must leave your ego at home. The brutal, real world of business doesn’t care about your pride. It only responds to persistence, humility, and value creation.”
Truly, ego has no place in entrepreneurship.