How to Overcome Ego in the Workplace: Aamir Khan's Lesson
In 1988, an unknown Aamir Khan pasted his own film posters on rickshaws. Here's what that story, and Ego Is the Enemy, teach about overcoming ego at work.
In 1988, an actor nobody recognized personally pasted his own movie posters on auto-rickshaws, that actor was Aamir Khan, before Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak made him a star. India's learning and development market is now worth roughly Rs 1.5 trillion, yet the one skill it rarely teaches is this: doing small, unglamorous work without feeling it's beneath you.
TL;DR- In 1988, an unknown Aamir Khan personally pasted his own film posters on auto-rickshaws to promote Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
- Ryan Holiday's book Ego Is the Enemy argues the biggest threat to growth isn't failure, it's feeling too big for small work.
- Many young professionals refuse "small" tasks, calls, presentations, sales, because they think it's below their job description.
- The people who become "superstars" in any field are usually the ones who never stopped doing small work with full effort.
What Did Aamir Khan Do Before He Became a Superstar?
In 1988, before Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak released, nobody recognized the actor who'd go on to define Bollywood for three decades. Aamir Khan and a relative walked up to auto-rickshaw drivers, one by one, asking permission to paste his own movie posters on the back of their rickshaws. Some agreed, some refused. A few asked, "who even is Aamir Khan?" He'd answer simply: a future superstar. No entourage, no publicist, just an actor doing a job most would call beneath him.
What Is "Ego Is the Enemy" and Why Does It Matter at Work?
Ryan Holiday's book Ego Is the Enemy makes a point that applies directly to careers, not just celebrities: the biggest obstacle to growth usually isn't failure, it's the belief that you've already arrived. A little success convinces people the whole world recognizes them, and suddenly small, unglamorous work feels like an insult. That mindset shift, quiet, gradual, almost invisible, is usually where career growth stalls, long before any external setback shows up.
| Ego Signal | What It Sounds Like | The Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Refusing "small" tasks | "That's not my job description" | Do the task once, without announcing it, and notice how it feels |
| Avoiding visibility risk | Skipping calls, presentations, or sales conversations | Volunteer for the exact task you'd normally avoid |
| Needing recognition first | "I'll help once I know it'll be noticed" | Practice doing unglamorous work with no audience |
| Assuming others already know you | "People recognize me now" | Stay in learning mode regardless of early success |
Why Do Young Professionals Refuse Small Tasks at Work?
I see this constantly with engineers and graduates in their first or second job. A task comes up, a client call, a presentation, a sales conversation, and the response is, "that's not my job description, I'm technical." They won't pick up the phone, won't face a customer, won't touch sales. It's the same instinct behind refusing to clear your own coffee mug or expecting an office boy to bring water. Small work feels beneath the role they think they've earned.
How Does Ego Quietly Stop Career Growth?
This isn't unique to offices. Investor and writer Kunal Shah has said the same thing about today's generation: many won't do small work because they believe it's below their "status" or "level." But the people who eventually become superstars, in business, in Bollywood, in any field, are almost always the ones who did small, thankless work with full effort long before anyone was watching or applauding. If you're leading a team, this is exactly the gap I work on inside leadership training programs, ego shows up as much in managers as it does in graduates.
What Can Indian Professionals Learn From Aamir Khan's Rickshaw Posters?
Ego rarely announces itself directly. It shows up as "that's not my level," as skipping a phone call because it feels beneath a title, or as irritation when asked to do something "junior." Each of these is a small refusal, and each one quietly signals to a manager that you're not ready for more responsibility, not less. The story of Anita, an employee who needed external validation to feel successful, follows the same root cause: ego attached to how others see you, not to the work itself.
How to Overcome Ego in the Workplace: A Practical Approach
Overcoming ego at work starts with a simple daily habit: notice the moment you think "this isn't my job" and do it anyway, without announcement. Clear your own desk. Take the call nobody wants to take. Offer to help with the unglamorous part of a project. None of this needs public recognition, that's the point. If you want your team to build this mindset systematically rather than by accident, that's exactly what I help build through motivational speaking and training sessions for corporate teams.
Why "Small Work" Is the Real Test of Future Leaders
Aamir Khan pasting his own posters wasn't a career strategy, it was just someone willing to do the small, thankless part of the job. That's the real test for anyone who wants to grow: not how you handle the big opportunity, but whether you're still willing to do the small one when no one's watching. Ego is the enemy, remember that, and start acting on it today.
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Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · 11+ yrs experience Avinash has trained Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership development, communication skills, and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Ego Is the Enemy" mean in a work context?
Ryan Holiday's book Ego Is the Enemy argues that unchecked ego, the belief that you're above certain tasks or already know enough, is often what stalls careers, not external failure. At work, this shows up as refusing small tasks, avoiding unglamorous work, or expecting recognition before contributing.
Why did Aamir Khan paste his own posters on rickshaws?
In 1988, before Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak released, Aamir Khan was not yet recognized. He personally approached auto-rickshaw drivers to ask permission to paste his own movie posters on their vehicles, small, unglamorous promotional work he did himself rather than considering it beneath him.
Why do many young professionals refuse small tasks at work?
Many graduates and early-career professionals link their self-worth to their job title or technical specialization, so tasks like sales calls, presentations, or basic office responsibilities start to feel "beneath" them. This mindset, more than any skill gap, is often what slows their career growth.
How can I overcome ego in the workplace?
Start by noticing when you think "this isn't my job" and doing the task anyway, without seeking recognition for it. Consistently choosing to do small, unglamorous work, even after early success, is what separates people who keep growing from those who plateau.
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By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .