Let me tell you a bit about myself and why I am qualified to have an opinion on pride vs ego in Software Engineering. I have been working as a software engineer for over 17 years, prior to that I spent 15 years programming as an amateur. At 41, I have over 30 years of experience programming for fun and profit. During those decades, I have worked with a variety of people on personal and professional projects. The best programmers I have worked with have a tremendous amount of pride in their work, but almost no ego.

The difference between pride and ego

Taking pride in your work means taking ownership of it. Making the best decisions for the project drives you to work hard. This can include.

• Using best practices and craft something you are proud to show off to others.
• Enjoying the satisfaction and accomplishment of the tasks and projects you complete.
• Paying attention to small details and ensure that the work is of the highest quality.

When ego becomes involved, it can lead to a lack of objectivity. Instead of building the best product possible, you can overlook flaws and weaknesses in your approach. This can include.

• Difficulty seeing and acknowledging your own limitations and weaknesses.
• Problems collaborating with a team.
• Arrogance where you believe that you and the methods you favor are superior to others.

Ego, warning signs and dangers

There are a few things I have learned to watch out for in myself and others when it comes to ego.

• Putting too much emphasis on their titles
• Needing to be at the center of attention constantly
• Excluding those they feel might be a threat to their position
• Disparaging the work others do and not offering constructive criticism
• Stealing the ideas of others and presenting them as their own

Now this list is not all-inclusive or even concrete. Even the best people can make these mistakes from time to time. What you need to watch out for is a pattern of behaviour.

The healthy approach

Pride and ego are deeply connected. Without some ego, it is impossible to take pride in your work. It is when the pride becomes destructive instead of constructive that it becomes a matter of ego.

I do my best to remember a few key points to keep my pride from turning into ego.

• Others, even those with less experience than me, may have valuable ideas
• My work is not perfect and there is always room for improvement
• There may be better solutions, methods, and practices than I am employing.
• I always want to learn and grow as a developer. If I think I know it all, that cannot happen.

Finally

It is important for leadership in companies to make sure they are encouraging pride and not ego in their workspaces. Software Engineers already have a tough job between high-stress environments, long hours, tight deadlines, and adapting to new technology.

Making sure that Software Engineers have a good balance between pride and ego can help ensure a friendlier workspace.

Originally Published at The Simple Dev