Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images
Post
Post
Share
Annotate
- Save
- Get PDF
Buy Copies
Summary. Fostering a healthy level of ambition is not easy, and amidst so much uncertainty, it may seem like a low priority. But having the “pause button” hit — as it has been in most of our lives — makes this a wonderful time to step back and reflect on our professional aspirations. Striking a healthy degree of ambition can be achieved by using this framework, which structures ambition into three dimensions: performance, growth, and achievement. Your innate desires to perform at your best, to grow and become better, and to achieve rewards from your efforts, all reflect your unique identities. You just need to find a healthy balance between them.
Post
Post
Share
Annotate
- Save
- Get PDF
Buy Copies
Years ago, I was facilitating a board of directors’ succession committee to select the company’s next CEO. The slate was down to two candidates, each of whom had unique strengths and limitations. The committee chair offered a fascinating observation of them, saying, “One is too ambitious, and the other isn’t ambitious enough.” When I probed to better understand her concerns, she described a host of traits spanning each candidate’s degree of self-interest, achievement orientation, self-awareness, and concern for others. In short, the candidate labeled “too ambitious” had been overly assertive about the financial growth of the company and the candidate labeled “not ambitious enough” had spoken too much about their family and personal interests.
