10 Ways to Win with Ambition and Not Contaminate Relationships
It’s not necessary to have ambition. It’s just unusual when leaders don’t have it.
You’re better off acknowledging ambition than pretending you’re above it.
Blind ambition:
I know a leader who lost an opportunity because he had too much ambition. He spoke more of his desire for advancement than his desire to succeed in the position for which he applied.
Others see in us what we hide from ourselves.
Self-awareness:
Hiding from ambition allows it to infect your perspective.
You might imagine that titles don’t matter, but earning Director, VP, or CEO feels pretty darn good. Pretending it doesn’t, suggests lack of self-awareness.
If you can’t acknowledge ambition, perhaps it already has you.
Ambition goes bad when:
- Desired honor eclipses received honor.
- Talented teammates are threats.
- Discontent contaminates relationships.
- Drive to win turns to manipulation, anger, or unethical behavior.
- Envy results in bitterness.
- Resentment produces negative judgement about the motives and success of others.
- Tearing down becomes a method of getting ahead.
Ambition goes good when:
Service and gratitude answer the defilement of ambition.
Talk less about getting ahead and more about serving.
When ambition makes you ungrateful, turn to gratitude. Express gratitude for opportunities, talented teammates, and imperfect steps forward.
10 ways to express healthy ambition:
- Always use the term ‘earn’ when expressing ambition.
- Talk privately and infrequently about desires for advancement.
- Never make yourself look good by neglecting to mention the contribution of others.
- Help others advance.
- Stay connected with those who can’t advance your career.
- Share what you’re learning. Unhealthy ambition has to know-it-all.
- Never lie or bend the rules to get ahead.
- Take on nagging problems that others avoid.
- Reject the trappings of position.
- Walk into every room intending to be useful to others.
Concentrate on adding value and earning opportunity.
What dangers do you see in ambition? What benefits?
How might leaders navigate the dangers of ambition?
Dan,
While I don’t think ambition is wrong at all, it can be a double edged sword as you suggest. Your post reminded me of the words of my very first boss out of college. He said “I will have been successful if I work for you someday.” Over the years I learned that he actually meant that and was more concerned about projecting others forward than himself.
Personally, I’ve never had a huge amount of “ambition”. I think I’ve had more passion than ambition. I’ve truly felt that my “career” was in God’s hands and no one could stop me from getting somewhere He wanted me to go and I couldn’t go anywhere He didn’t want me to if I was regularly seeking and accepting His direction. From that mindset, I found that I was under no pressure to advance while many around me were scrambling for position. This made me very comfortable around anyone in the company from the owner to the line worker and everywhere in between. There was no pressure to calculate my words or strategize my “moves”. Ironically, it seems that God moved me forward without the “ambition” while those fueled by “ambition” didn’t move as readily.
Again, I don’t think ambition is wrong, it just plays out differently in all of us. As a Christian, I do have an “ambition” to die to self and to be a living sacrifice, both of which run a bit counter to “standard” or “personal” ambition. I fail at these goals often but I’m a work in progress and God is a fabulous potter!
Thanks for making me think every day!
Be blessed!
Thanks Solid. I’m glad to see you share how faith impacts ambition. It seems that trust turned ambition to passion in you. That feels powerful to me.
Personally, I think ambition can go wrong pretty quickly. Although, I see it in myself. Today’s post, especially the parts about the danger of ambition, are a self-reflection on ambition going wrong in my own experience.
You seem to have a sense of freedom about this. Congratulations.
Thank you – love this post, particularly the statement ” I’ve had more passion than ambition” – how inspiring.
Many organizations have value statements that guide interactions at all levels. The US Army has one that is very useful using the acronym LDRSHIP – Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, Personal Courage. The order of these values forms a convenient way to remember them but I would argue that the one a leader should start with is selfless service.
I recently had a feedback session with Employees from a subordinate directorate. We do this periodically, usually on a request basis, when Employees feel they have something they want to discuss that is frustrating them. One of the wisest leadership lessons I have ever heard came from a relatively junior-grade employee (though with many years of tremendous experience) who said, “Some of the leaders in this organization need to turn their brown nose in the opposite direction and start focusing on those they lead.”
Yesterday’s post addressed the concept of pushback. If we link the concepts of constructive pushback with ambition, focusing on the ’10 ways to express healthy ambition’ above, we can build a system and culture that allows us as leaders to detect when we have ambition blind spots in the organization before they become serious problems.
I propose an 11th way to express healthy ambition, though perhaps it’s a subset of #10 – focus on the team. The best way a leader can showcase success or market the organization is to give the critical action agent great credit for success and highlight that to more senior leaders. If a project fails, it is incumbent upon the leader to humbly accept responsibility without throwing the team or subordinate individuals under the bus.
Thanks R. A. Love the expression “ambition blind spots.” I appreciate you added insight of focus on the team. It feels like healthy insight is about helping others – teams – teams succeed. It takes courage, vulnerability, and the long-term perspective to adopt this wiser approach. Cheers
Aspiring to be the servant leader is the greatest thing. People will WANT you to be at the helm.