Is your pride holding you back from holding yourself accountable?

Some view pride as arrogance, while others see it as confidence. Some say it’s a fundamental leadership trait, while others believe it’s a characteristic we can all do without. My question is, “What effect does pride have when it comes to our leadership walk and our personal accountability?” Below are five areas where I believe your pride will hold you back from your true

Pride prevents humility. In order to lead, we have to be willing to be led and stay open to suggestions. Perhaps one of the most serious “side effects” of pride is that it keeps us from being humble. Pride and humility can’t co-exist. Humility is the absence of pride. The irony is that humility shows strength, while pride often reveals our fears, insecurities, and weaknesses.

Be honest about the reality of the situation. We all need to have those “essential” people in our lives - Friends, Colleagues, Support – that will 9/10 times tell you if they start to notice negative changes or warning signs that you might be trying to forcefully ignore, or maybe you don’t even notice happening.” It’s tough to be vulnerable, to say “I need help with this part of my life” and then have someone hold you accountable. But it is necessary for our growth.

Keep giving back in some way. Serve, serve, and serve! Serve in all capacities. Serve as a leader, serve as a colleague, and serve as an apprentice (novice to the task). In all cases bring you’re “A” Game. Nothing will keep you more grounded than serving other people who are in need. It is one of the best natural, most powerful remedies for pride inflation that I can think of.

Stay open to change and keep moving forward. Pride keeps us from achieving what we want to achieve. It distracts us. It decreases our impact. It increases our paranoia and feeds our ego. It convinces us to stay complacent and not take risks. So tweak your program, your approach or your ideal clientele as you see fit and don’t be afraid to make changes. Don’t make excuses to stay the same way if life is leading you in a new direction. Worried that you will make a mistake? So what if you do. Learn from your mistakes and share that knowledge. Lead by example in your actions as well as in your words.

Lastly, pride keeps us from being our authentic selves. When we are concerned with projecting or protecting our pride, we put up a barrier between us and others so they can’t get too close or see the real us. Authenticity is one of – if not the – most appealing traits of a leader. Pride prevents us from being authentic, and your team knows when you’re being authentic. Be transparent in how you present yourself. Be willing to go first, trust first and ask for help first!

Did the above topic resonate with you? Are you wondering if you are letting pride hold you back and keep you in a place of complacency? If you are interested to know whether you are content or complacent in your approach you can access my free personal assessment here.

Ronette Clarke Williams is CEO of Optimum Productivity and the founder of the 4P (Productivity, People Management, Profitability and Peace of Mind) Movement. She is also a best seller author of, Redefining “ROCKSTAR” Leadership: Making It Work for You, Not you for it!.