The most powerful and richest people on the planet are locked in a very public struggle. But this isn’t about policy or progress. It’s about ego.
Ryan Holiday nailed it in “Ego is the Enemy.” He wrote, “The ego we see most commonly goes by a more casual definition: an unhealthy belief in our own importance, arrogance, and self-centered ambition.”
We’re witnessing this play out on the world stage. Two titans, each convinced of their righteousness, each unable to step back from the brink of their own making. While it is significant enough in itself, for them, it does not suffice unless everyone is looking.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: we do this too.
Every boardroom battle that should have been a conversation, every relationship destroyed by the need to be right, every opportunity missed because we couldn’t admit we were wrong.
Stanford’s research on decision-making shows that ego-driven choices cost organizations significantly in poor strategic decisions. The data is precise: ego doesn’t just bruise feelings—it crushes results.
The most dangerous part? The ego feels justified. It whispers that we deserve this fight, that our reputation is at stake, that backing down is weakness.
It’s not.
The strongest leaders know when to fold. They understand that being right isn’t worth being alone. They recognize that influence comes from service, not dominance.
While the world watches two egos collide, the real question isn’t about them. It’s about you. When did your ego last cost you something valuable? When did the need to win make you lose what mattered most?
Your ego isn’t protecting you. It’s isolating you.
