When Ambition Gets in the Way

Ambition is a prized quality. It drives people to set and pursue goals on their way to making an impact and leaving a mark. Ambition opens doors to new experiences and fuels the innovation necessary for significant achievement. When balanced with humility and a strong ethical code, ambition lights the pathway to success. 

Ambitious leaders and team members aspire for more. They want more responsibility, more influence, and more authority. They push themselves and those around them to reach for higher outcomes. Not surprisingly, ambitious leaders can fixate on promotion and other organizational rewards to the exclusion of other pursuits. Their healthy appetite for more is a good thing. 

Up to a point.  

High ambition can take over our everyday thinking. It can spur aggression that lacks real concern for others. And a more common drawback is how ambition can narrow our focus on the future at the expense of the present. 

When ambition directs energy squarely on future aspirations, the present role can take a back seat. Losing focus on the job at hand is a common consequence of unbridled ambition. 

Taking care of the work in front of you must always matter as much or more than the work that lies ahead. Ambitious leaders who get ahead of their skis and start planning for the future forget that their strongest credential is the quality of their work today. 

Leaders who begin to think about, speak about, and investigate their next role or position before the time has come signal to everyone that their ambition has taken over their sensibilities. We don’t trust leaders or team members who bypass the present so they might gaze upon the stars. 

As author Denis Waitley reminds us, “The greatest achievement is to outperform yourself.” Ambition keeps us in hot pursuit of great outcomes and pushes us to earn a better future. But when future goals become more important than current goals, leaders lose sight as to why they deserve their aspirations to begin with. 

Present performance must always exceed ambition. That’s called success.