Sometimes I feel like I have too much ambition.
I’m always thinking about taking the next step, undertaking a new venture, and creating new opportunities. Sometimes I get overambitious, and the results don’t coincide with my original vision. Having ambition is a good trait for entrepreneurs, but it must be managed effectively in order to produce the results you desire.
Because ambition is something I’ve dealt with my whole career, I thought it would be wise to take a closer look at it. How can we harness ambition to use it responsibly? How can we create ambition if we aren’t feeling motivated?
This month, my mastermind groups are studying the intricacies of ambition through the book Ambition: Leading with Gratitude by Seth Buechley. In the book, Seth says, “Ambition can be cultivated into a great strength.” But he also warns against letting it become hollow and destructive. He tells stories of how his own ambitiousness caused him to be impulsive and sometimes make choices that were unwise. He then explains that managing the downside of what he calls the “expectation trap” is a key to success for ambitious leaders. His advice is as follows: “One of the best ways that ambitious leaders can manage the downside of the expectation trap is to intentionally develop relationships with wise counselors who understand their gifts, passions, and capabilities. To go even further, when those counselors can encourage you toward your calling and purpose, things get really good.”
If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance you’re already ambitious. If you have the vision and the desire to achieve something, all you need to do is make a decision to go for it and put the hard work in. Then you’re turning your ambition into action.
If you find yourself lacking ambition, your desires might be in the wrong place. Are you doing what you truly want to do with your life? Are you afraid to try something new? Maybe your motives are in the wrong place. Are you focusing on the big picture, or are you just focused on making as much money as you can make?
There’s nothing wrong with making money, but we have to keep it in the proper perspective. We need to own the money, not let the money own us. If your only ambition is to make more money, you’re never going to feel content with any amount of money, and your ambition is eventually going to die out.
You can’t even scratch the surface of putting your ambition to work and achieving the things you strive for if the only thing you focus on is money.
To create healthy ambition that can be used as fuel to do great things, you need to make sure your vision lines up with your skills and that you’re doing something that makes you tick.
Ambition: Leading with Gratitude warns against setting expectations that might leave you disappointed if they are not met. Ambitious people will always strive for more, but your ambition has to lead to some sort of satisfaction by setting expectations that are reachable and in line with your mission.
Are you creating unrealistic expectations for yourself? If you say “yes” to every opportunity, if you’re scheduled to attend 10 meetings per day, or if you are simply doing something you don’t enjoy, your ambition is going to dry up fast. Create long-lasting ambition by pursuing something you believe in and putting in the work necessary to shape it into what you’ve dreamed. Find your satisfaction by keeping your expectations within reach, and seek the advice of wise counselorsbefore making a decision out of pure ambition.
