Ego vs execution war story

Published 11 months ago • 1 min read

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

Get those lessons now

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.

The chaos I’m seeing inside PPP projects right now… and the opportunity nobody sees

I get it. I’ve been CEO. I know what ego feels like. That urge to change things. To leave your mark. To justify the big salary. I get it. But changing things that already work? Just to prove you exist? No. That I don’t get. Look. I’ve been speaking with people across PPP and Real Estate. Different countries. Same story. “Like beheaded chickens.” Clients changing direction mid-procurement. Swapping teams halfway through. Rewriting strategy… in the middle of a transaction. Yes. That bad. Even...

about 10 hours ago • 1 min read

You hide behind analysis because you’re scared to decide

Most consultants are expensive spectators. Nice slides.Clean Excel models.Zero impact. They show up.They talk.They disappear. And the project?Still stuck. In the mouse wheel… running but still in the same place. It may be the perverse incentive of maximizing gains by increasing scope and delaying everything… although that’s for another days. Look… In big projects, nobody pays you for your time.They pay you for one thing: Movement. Decisions made.Problems killed.Risks reduced.Money saved....

1 day ago • 1 min read

The people around you decide how much money you’ll make

This is a nice week for me. Birthday and week of great decisions. Decisions on my businesses. Decisions on my investments. Important ones. You see… I feel butterflies in my stomach. Fear. Doubts. So, I know perfectly well that I’m growing. I’m making progress. Look. Matt Gray, someone you should follow on LinkedIn – it’s free and you’ll learn a lot from him – said the other day that your circle establishes your ceiling. Your boss. Your friends. Your business partners. Your colleagues. Etc....