While digging through an old bankers box the other day, I came across something that stopped me for a moment.
An article I wrote in 1995.
The title was:
“Ego-System Management.”
I had to smile a bit when I saw it.
Not because I remembered every word I wrote—but because I immediately remembered the idea.
And as I sit here today, nearly thirty years later, I realize something…
That idea may be more relevant now than it was then.
Back in 1995, I was trying to describe something I was seeing in organizations and in people.
A pattern.
A way of thinking.
A way of making decisions.
At the time, I called it ego-system management—a play on the word ecosystem.
The difference was simple.
An ecosystem is built on relationships, balance, and long-term sustainability.
An ego-system is built on self-interest.
The more I look around today, the more I see how often we operate from that ego-system mindset.
We respond to what’s in front of us.
We focus on immediate problems.
We make decisions based on what benefits us—or our organization—right now.
And to be fair, that’s human nature.
But when that way of thinking becomes the norm, something begins to happen.
We stop seeing the system.
Instead of asking:
-
How does this all fit together?
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What are the long-term consequences?
We start asking:
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What solves this today?
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What works for me right now?
And over time, those small decisions add up.
I’ve seen this play out in organizations.
I’ve seen it in communities.
I’ve seen it in business decisions that made sense in the short term—but created bigger problems down the road.
And if I’m being honest, I’ve seen it in myself as well.
What struck me as I reread that old article wasn’t just the idea.
It was the realization that I’ve spent much of my life—often without fully realizing it—trying to move from ego-system thinking to ecosystem thinking.
What I now call my Stewardship Lens is really just another way of saying the same thing.
Ecosystem thinking requires us to slow down.
To step back.
To connect the dots.
To consider not just what works—but what lasts.
That’s not how most of the world operates.
We live in a time where quick answers are rewarded.
Short-term results are celebrated.
And long-term thinking often takes a back seat.
But maybe that’s exactly why this idea still matters.
Maybe even more so today.
So finding that article from 1995 wasn’t just a trip down memory lane.
It was a reminder.
That some ideas don’t go away.
They just wait for the right time to be seen again…with a little more clarity.
Field Note to Self
When making decisions…
Ask yourself:
Am I managing an ego-system…
Or contributing to an ecosystem?
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