Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the
outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego.
Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent.
With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In
failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At
every stage, ego holds us back.
Ego Is the Enemy draws
on a vast array of stories and examples, from literature to philosophy
to history. We meet fascinating figures such as George Marshall, Jackie
Robinson, Katharine Graham, Bill Belichick, and Eleanor Roosevelt, who
all reached the highest levels of power and success by conquering their
own egos. Their strategies and tactics can be ours as well.
In
an era that glorifies social media, reality TV, and other forms of
shameless self-promotion, the battle against ego must be fought on many
fronts. Armed with the lessons in this book, as Holiday writes, “you
will be less invested in the story you tell about your own specialness,
and as a result, you will be liberated to accomplish the world-changing
work you’ve set out to achieve.”