Two years ago, I was depressed. Business was struggling, the country faced war and I had no idea how to support myself and the team. Instead of complaining, I decided to work on myself: I went to therapy, consulted a coach, and read self-help books.

I understood that survival of my startup it was 100% up to me, so I started working on conscious leadership.

My startup not only survived—it thrived. We launched new products, got great metrics and increased investment.

Founders, don't rush to quit, fire your team, or shut down your startup. Start by working for yourself. Here are three qualities of a conscious leader that will help you navigate the turbulence.

1. Recognize destructive patterns and change the script

If you were a great student in high school and your family praised you for your good grades, you probably developed a pattern: “I have to be the best to be loved.” This happened to me too.

During brainstorming sessions, I found myself growing anxious and defensive when my ideas weren't immediately judged as the best. Criticism, however constructive, felt like a personal attack. This certainly affected business results – discussions dragged on for hours, I wasted a lot of energy on conflicts, and the team thought I was toxic.

After reading Young and Klosko's book Reinventing Your Life, I discovered this pattern and figured out how to change it. Now, I don't feel embarrassed when someone criticizes me. I have adopted a new approach: to speak last in discussions. By allowing my team to voice their opinions first, I can listen carefully and objectively assess the merits of each idea.

Connected: Fuel your team's creativity with this powerful brainstorming technique

Here's another habit to watch out for: Are you always afraid your team is going to leave you? If you're constantly worried about it, you may have what's called an “anxious attachment” pattern. If you don't change this, your team may actually leave – not because they were going to change anyway, but because they get tired of always being suspicious.

2. Separate yourself from your ego

Your ego is like a voice that thinks it knows best. It can trick you into believing things that aren't true, like thinking you're a terrible person if you're not constantly praised.

How this plays out at work: Imagine you're interviewing someone smarter than you in some area. If your ego is in charge, you may see this person as a threat rather than acknowledging their valuable expertise. This can lead to poverty DECISION.

Your ego also affects how you feel about yourself. If your business results fall, your ego may make you think you're a failure, but others may see this as a chance to improve.

I realized what the ego was when I was depressed and tried different practices, like ice baths. My rational mind knew it was good for me, but another voice kept saying, “Don't do it, stay in bed, it's safer.” I learned that this was my ego talking. My job was not to let this voice win.

Are you wondering how much your ego is controlling you? Read Eckhart Tolle's book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose. It helped me understand the concept of ego.

Sometimes, ego can do terrible things to company founders and even lead to business failures. I know a founder who was always comparing himself to other businesses because of his big ego. He started breaking the rules just to be first instead of focusing on making a real impact and building a sustainable business.

Connected: I let my ego turn me into a controlling leader. Here's how I rebuilt myself and learned to let go.

3. Find your inner leader

No matter what you do or what business decisions you make, psychology explains it with two types of drivers. The first is the pleasure drive, where you do something for reward or recognition. The second is the aggressive drive, where you want to challenge others, be first, or succeed at the expense of others.

However, there is a third driver that defines an influential leader. It is a generating machine. People with it are curious and always want to grow and improve things around them.

A great example of a generative leader for me is Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft). It encourages Microsoft to invest in projects that may not be immediately profitable, but that significantly impact education and medicine. Or Jensen Huang (CEO of NVIDIA): He is humble and focused on making a difference. He talks about his employees and how their work, like creating chips for essential technologies, contributes to the progress of the world.

Connected: Don't Let Your Ego Get in the Way – How Humble Leaders Build Stronger, More Motivated Teams

When you understand what really drives you, especially if it's a generative drive, you can lead your business in a way that's not just about making a profit, but also about positively impacting the world.

Nothing helps you analyze your actions better than external feedback. Surround yourself with honest people and experts. Communicate with them. And be honest with yourself about what your inner motivator is.