Separating Role from Self
It's subtle but vitally important
“Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.” — Colin Powell 1
I was recently asked the following question:
“Geoff – you wrote something on LinkedIn recently about “seeing with new eyes”. It reminded me of one of the first articles I read on your Substack a couple of years ago called ‘Back to Basics’. In that article you describe an experience — to do with the separation of role from self — that had a big impact on your work. Can you explain why you see this separation as so important?”
The 19-minute Future-Fit Culture Frequently Asked Questions video below explores the above question.
The video above mentions the following:
The Back to Basics article mentioned in the prompting question (linked below)
Gareth Morgan’s 1997 book Images of Organization2
Erving Goffman’s 1959 book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life3
Daniel Schmachtenberger War on Sensemaking interview4
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Colin Powell (1937—2021) was US Secretary of State (2001—2005) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989—1993). The quote was Powell’s Rule #3 (of 13) in Chapter 1 of his memoir, It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. (Harper Collins, 2012, p9).
Gareth Morgan’s Images of Organization on Goodreads.
Erving Goffman’s Presentation of Self in Everyday Life on Goodreads.
It’s well worth watching the whole of War on Sensemaking I (1 hour 50 mins). The extract referenced in the video above starts at 1:36:17 - Click here to go directly to that point in the conversation.
For example, these FREE videos, these FREE articles, and this FREE download of my 22-page Five Fatal Habits report.