Eyes On The Prize: Keep Your Head Down, Your Ego In Check, And Get On With It While our aim should always be to bring our best selves forward in whatever we set out to do, we should remain mindful of not letting our egos rule the show.

By Aby Sam Thomas

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock.com

"For us at Anghami, we just want to inspire people. That has been our personal journey; we want to be an inspiration to others [in the MENA region] that you can build something big from scratch, from nothing, by simply innovating, believing in your people, and working hard." This was one of the things that Anghami co-founder and CTO Elie Habib told me after I learned that his Abu Dhabi-headquartered enterprise was going to become the first Arab tech company to list on the NASDAQ New York Stock Exchange.

Elie Habib, co-founder and CTO, Anghami. Source: Anghami

Now, while there's no denying the fact that this was a historic moment for the MENA entrepreneurial landscape, I still couldn't help but be struck by how Habib chose to paint this occasion as a rousing win for the region, and not just as a personal victory. But Habib's behavior won't come as a surprise to those of us who have interacted with him ever since he launched Anghami with co-founder Eddy Maroun in 2012- that was also the year in which he publicly declared that "ego has no place in a startup," and it seems pretty obvious that Habib has continued to believe in that ethos to this day.

I can personally state that Habib's behavior has been a welcome departure from the inflated egos that seem to be more the norm than the exception in our business ecosystem, and it's been especially encouraging to see how he has stayed true to his principles through all of the twists and turns of his entrepreneurial journey. Indeed, Habib has consistently kept his ego out of the way when running his business, and it's a strategy that has clearly worked out well for him. And Habib's tactic is one I hope that all of us -entrepreneurs and otherwise- will employ as we make our way through the current circumstances of our world.

While our aim should always be to bring our best selves forward in whatever we set out to do, we should remain mindful of not letting our egos rule the show. Whether we are entering a negotiation for a potential deal, or simply running a staff meeting with our teams, checking our egos at the door before joining such interactions will allow for honest and authentic discussions to happen, which can help the realization of successful outcomes for everyone involved. Perhaps more importantly, this will enable the creation of environments where the focus is on the greater good, and not just on individual gains- and that's something worth putting in the effort for.

Related: Abu Dhabi-Headquartered Anghami Becomes The First Arab Tech Company To List On NASDAQ New York

Aby Sam Thomas

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor in Chief, Entrepreneur Middle East

Aby Sam Thomas is the Editor in Chief of Entrepreneur Middle East. In this role, Aby is responsible for leading the publication on its editorial front, while also working to build the brand and grow its presence across the MENA region through the development and execution of events and other programming, as well as through representation in conferences, media, etc.

Aby has been working in journalism since 2011, prior to which he was an analyst programmer with Accenture, where he worked with J. P. Morgan Chase's investment banking arm at offices in Mumbai, London, and New York. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.  

Related Topics

Entrepreneurs

Future 100 (2023)

In building the most dynamic and competitive economy, the Future 100 initiative, championed by the UAE Ministry of Economy and the Government Development and the Future Office, lists and accelerates leading enterprises in the United Arab Emirates making promising contributions to the UAE's future economic sectors.

Marketing

5 SEO Tips to Grow Your Small Business

Stop following SEO strategies that don't work. Discover the five essential SEO tips you need to grow your small business.

Business News

'No One Is Important:' Senior Executives at 'Sports Illustrated' Publishing House Are Out of a Job Following AI Article Controversy

The owner of the magazine's publisher, The Area Group, claims the shakeup was unrelated to the recent scandal.

Entrepreneurs

Udenz

Udenz is the first artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform for dental diagnostics and practice management.

Entrepreneurs

Drivu

With the aim to enable a drive-thru economy for all, Drivu is a business where the food is prepared by independent restaurants or coffee shops, and picked up by you as a customer.

Business News

An Hermès Heir Wants to Give Half His $12 Billion Fortune to His Gardener—and Lawyers Are Going Nuts

Nicolas Puech, the grandson of Hermès' founder, intends to legally adopt the 51-year-old former groundskeeper as his son, ensuring he inherits his billions.