“Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, your worst enemy already lives inside you: your ego.” So begins Ryan Holiday in his excellent little book Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent (2016, Profile Books) about living your best life
Holiday makes no apology for demonstrating that we are our own worst enemy, and that by mastering our ego, we can be better humans – including being much more productive. The author comes from a strong industry background of strategy and ideas, and has seen some of the most spectacular business collapses up close and personal. The book is structured around Holiday’s philosophy of beating ego by being:
- Humble in our aspirations;
- Gracious in our success; and
- Resilient in our failures.
Drawing on a huge collection of modern and ancient examples, Holiday does provide a compelling case with very practical implications. It is a very well organised and written book which is easy to read. It is highly recommended for people who are aspiring to leadership, and for existing leaders who are willing to take an honest look at themselves.
Reviewed by Dr Warrick Long, Senior Lecturer and Leadership Postgraduate Studies Coordinator, Avondale Business School