Ego vs execution war story


Dear project managers and executives
You are not paid to referee ego wars.
You are paid to protect outcomes.

​

I have seen this many times.

And doubts and concerns freeze you like a bunny looking at the two lights of the car moving to you.

​

Look.

​

If you're witnessing a standoff between two inflated egos, do everyone a favor:
Remove them both—or at least the one you can control.

​

Will it feel disruptive? Yes.
Expensive? Maybe.
Unfair? Possibly.

​
But trust me... it’s a bargain compared to the cost of keeping them around.

​

I've seen projects lose millions because someone had to be right.
I’ve seen teams break, timelines collapse, and reputations tank—
Not because of risk or complexity...
But because no one had the guts to pull the ego out of the room.

​

Leadership is about subtraction.

​
Sometimes, the best move is cutting the wrong person at the right time.

More wisdom? Check below.

$99.90

The 15 Top Lessons of a PPP Project Nightmare

Learn about:
The number 1 killer of Projects
Why this was not going to be just "another construction project, mate"... Read more

​

​

PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day.

PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com

PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below.

​

​

Vicente Valencia

I talk about Personal Growth, Management, Infrastructure and More | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇

Read more from Vicente Valencia

Great power comes with greater responsibilities. When I come to Spain and I see the infrastructure of a relatively medium to high income country has and how this infrastructure has changed the lives of millions of people, you feel the weight on your shoulders. If you work in infrastructure, you are in a sector that is essential. I’m watching the AI revolution carefully. But the way a new road changes the lives of thousands of people with or without mobile phones in an instant is still too...

Every December, projects enter a strange parallel universe. And this week everything explodes. Budgets are frozen. Teams disappear. And every email ends with “before the Christmas break, please.” If you have been in “a Change approved before the Christmas break”. “A package submitted before…”. Etc. You’re in the trap. I did it once… Years ago. A change to be “approved” before the end of the year. So we rushed. Design team, commercial, legal, operations, the construction… everyone. Sleepless...

As many of you, I’m flying now. Holidays. Family. “Relax”… if a three years-old allow you to do so. Before I used my more than 20 hours of flight time to catch up with movies or read that book I definitely wanted to have read before arriving to destination. Now, I have to sync my sleep with the little one and get into the loop of all Disney Cars movies and Bluey shows. Still I have time to think of my next project. My next investment. And not just real estate, but also education and training....