Everyone has greatness in them. The challenge is how we express it. We can push ourselves to rise to the challenge, or we can encourage others to greatness (and, in turn, encourage ourselves at the same time).

Everyone also has an ego. Some are kept in check – some are left to rage uncontrollably. Some have a happy medium in-between. Are our ego’s stopping us from being remarkable?

Often we don’t like to admit we don’t know something. We want people to think we’re invincible, that their trust in us is warranted. That we are the fountain of knowledge to their stream of questions. But we’re not. None of us.

But that’s not a bad thing. Seriously.

We are who we are because we learned what we know. How did we learn that? From those that knew and wanted to share. Not keep it to themselves as leverage over everyone else. Not use it as a power base over less-informed people. Not use it to stroke their own ego.

Ego’s are natural. We’re human beings – we like to feel we’re important in some way or another. And we are – each and every one of us. We all do great things every day. Does that mean we’re better than others that do “lesser” things? Can you define lesser? Is there such a thing when it comes to offering hope through belief?

I don’t think so and I know I’m not the only one.

Look around you. There are people that could have huge ego’s if they wanted to. People that continuously  encourage others to challenge themselves to be better. People that are selfless in their determination to make life better for those that need it the most. People that have taken an idea and ran with it to make it their own.

These are the people that could have ego’s but don’t.

So what ego’s are stopping us from growing? What ones are putting us in a pen and keeping the gate locked? You might recognize some.

• Business leaders. Your employees are your currency. Offer them a voice for their ideas, not a muzzle.
• Educators. Your students are the leaders of tomorrow in the brains of today. Don’t silence their probing – encourage it.
• Business consultants. Your clients are counting on you. If you don’t know something (which sometimes you won’t), admit it. Agree to find the answer together and make something truly great.

We all know people who offer belief. People who offer hope. We also know (often in equal measure) people who crush that belief simply through distorted ego. Sometimes it’s deliberate; sometimes it’s not. Either one is just as powerful as the other.

Belief is hope. Ego is the wall that can block that hope. How you scale the wall is up to you.

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