OoM 065: Your Ego is the Enemy with Ryan Holiday

Many of us, as men, believe we need to have it all figured out in order for us to be successful. It’s the old adage, “Fake it ’til you make it.”

And, while confidence is certainly something you’ll need to gain in order to have success, the fine line between it and ego has the ability to destroy it. My guest today, the one and only Ryan Holiday shares how confidence is earned while ego isn’t, the dangers and pitfalls of an inflated ego, and how to get out of your own way.

“Confidence is based on knowing you’ve done the work.” Tweet That— Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday is a media strategist and prominent writer on strategy and business. After dropping out of college at nineteen to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power, he went on to advise many bestselling authors and multi-platinum musicians. He served as director of marketing at American Apparel for many years, where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google and written about in AdAge, the New York Times, and Fast Company.

His first book, Trust Me I’m Lying—which the Financial Times called an “astonishing, disturbing book”—was a debut bestseller and is taught in colleges around the world.

He is also the author of two other books that have been instrumental in heling me achieve success in my life, The Obstacle is the Way and his latest – which he is here to talk about with us today – Ego is the Enemy.

“I don’t think reading is a passive process. It’s a very active one.” Tweet That— Ryan Holiday

Show Highlights

- - The dangers and pitfalls of an inflated ego
  - The difference between external and internal threats to your success.
  - The power of a “Commonplace Book” during reading
  - The fine line and difference between confidence and ego
  - How eliminating your ego improves your chances of success
  - How to know if your ego is in the way