Creatives pride themselves on their ideas, their passion, and their standards. But what gets overlooked is how creative ego shapes not just the work, but the team itself. Ego isn’t the enemy. Disconnection is.

Ego gives creative teams their spark. It’s what helps us back our ideas, push work forward, and aim for something better. But creativity, inside a team, isn’t a solo act. When ego is channelled into the work, it sharpens the outcome. When it shapes how we show up with others, it creates friction, not flow.

The strongest teams don’t kill creative ego, they harness it. They know that ego, when focused on the work, brings energy, ambition, and courage. The trouble starts when ego becomes about guarding turf or proving a point. That’s when it turns the team against itself. Creative ego should strengthen the work, not weaken the team.

I’ve seen this play out many times, both in others and in myself. I once worked with a brilliant designer, fiercely protective of her ideas. Feedback always felt like a confrontation, and for a long time, I thought ego was the problem. But looking closer, I saw something else: she wasn’t being difficult, she was disconnected. Feedback felt like a threat because it came from the outside. She didn’t feel like part of the team. I’ve fallen into that trap too, holding on too tightly and seeing critique as competition. It’s more common than we admit.

The shift happens when we stop defending and start building with others. Collaboration doesn’t dilute strong ideas; it makes them stronger. When teams invite more voices in, we move from protecting what’s ours to building something none of us could achieve alone. The best work happens when personal passion fuels shared momentum.

Here’s what it takes to turn creative ego into team strength:

Own the work, share the purpose.
Great creatives don’t just back their own ideas, they invite others in. Moving from “my idea” to “our best idea” changes the work and the team dynamic.

Focus on getting it right, not being right.
Ego is useful when it’s about the outcome. It’s destructive when it’s about ownership. The best teams challenge each other with care, always to lift the work, not their profile.

Make passion a team norm, not a solo act.
Creative energy shouldn’t come from one voice. The best teams make it a shared responsibility. Leaders who make space for more voices get bigger, braver work. When success is shared, people channel their energy into impact, not self-protection.

The best work feels personal, but it’s made together. Creative ego is a given; what matters is whether it connects or disconnects. Collaboration doesn’t quiet strong voices. It brings them together so the work can go further than any one of us could alone.

Where is creative ego fuelling your team’s progress, and where might it be getting in the way?