Ego Kills Careers: A New Leadership Philosophy and Path For Organizational Success

At one point in my policing career, my ego was out of control. I openly cringe thinking back to those days as a young lieutenant and captain, where my ego overrode good sense when it came to dealing with personnel issues. If an officer under my command disobeyed an order or violated policy, I took it personally; how dare they defy me! Ego was also a roadblock for me developing and growing needed relationships with many law enforcement partners in my county. I did not just burn bridges; I destroyed them, never to be rebuilt.

My ego was not only a problem at work, but it also caused problems at home. During marriage counseling, the counselor tapped into some dormant, malignant memories of my youth. I was as insecure as a 42-year-old captain as I was when I started my career at 25, and I didn’t know any better. The counseling sessions were painful but incredibly cathartic. I began to see where ego was a significant problem in my professional and personal life. The long and constant war with my ego began. Since 2013, I have been fighting those daily battles. I win about 80% of the time, but I learn something new every time I lose one of those battles. Those valuables lessons, along with additional research, led me to develop a philosophy called Ego Kills Careers.

The philosophy uses a multipronged approach: Identification of ego-related problems, training and education and visual reminders to tackle this critical issue. When supervisors are conducting informal or formal counseling sessions, they are instructed to “deep dive” into any problems they encounter. They are to establish if a negative ego is an underlying factor that is hampering an officer’s performance or adherence to the rules. At times, I sent officers, of all ranks, to the department’s psychologist because they needed professional help to overcome their issues with ego. Because of my transparent nature, I freely speak of my positive journey with counseling; I found little to no resistance from those who went to see the psychologist. Better yet, when the officers and supervisors who attended counseling changed their negative behaviors, the rest of the agency took notice. The tangible results of counseling further removed any barriers the officers had to accepting this method of assistance with controlling their egos.

Supervisors are encouraged to ask for feedback from their officers on how they performed during the year. In the beginning, getting evaluated by their troops was a foreign and uncomfortable concept for the supervisors. Now, most are secure that this valuable information, if used, will make them better supervisors. As the chief, I am not above getting evaluated. In 2019, I conducted an employee survey to identify my strengths and weaknesses. While the study was mainly positive, my staff and I worked hard on addressing the weak points in my “modus operandi.” I encourage all my fellow chiefs to conduct an anonymous survey in their departments, as this will test a leader’s commitment to working on their ego.

To formalize the philosophy, I teamed up with a local, licensed professional counselor who helped me develop an 8-hour course entitled Ego Kills Careers. This very interactive course shows students the problems associated with a negative ego, illustrates the gift of humility and demonstrates how the use of introspection and emotional intelligence builds a positive ego. The backbone of the class comes from the works of authors Ryan Holiday, Jocko Willink, Robin Dreeke and several other contemporary leaders on the subjects of trust, humility, leadership, and ego.

I am a great believer in visual aids. Hanging on the walls of my department are historical photos, plaques of past achievements and motivational quotes (The Man in The Arena by Teddy Roosevelt). Above the back door, where all the officers, detectives, staff and administration enter the building, hangs a large sign that reads Ego Kills Careers. The sign is a constant but subtle reminder of the department’s philosophy, one that I reinforce every day.

Data, analytics and technology are currently the buzzwords in policing. I am on a mission to get ego added to that list. What is more important than our people? Nothing! There is a unique and encouraging feeling one gets when they are freed from the confines of ego. Slights no longer sting, patience grows exponentially, anger becomes a forgotten emotion and life, in general, is sweeter. The results I gained battling ego changed the way I interact with people. I hope that by sharing my story, along with the research conducted on the subject, I can enrich the work and personal lives of all officers and supervisors and save some careers in the process.

Chief Ron Camacho is an accomplished law enforcement executive who spent time as an advisor in Afghanistan and Mexico. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, has a master’s in criminal justice from Liberty University, and is the chief of the Chambersburg Pennsylvania Police Department. He is the owner of Camacho Consulting LLC, a leadership and management training company.