Collect Ambitious People
Ambition is contagious. One persons drive to improve sparks the same in another. Ambition doesn't knock. Paradox of Ambition and 30-day challenges season.
Growth Mindset Ideas
Collect Ambitions People
I have had the privilege to work with high-performing teams as their colleague. As a coach, I worked with the talented founders and their teams who are stretching the boundaries of all that is possible. Beyond being hardworking or exceptionally skilled, one thing they all have in common is ambition. They all are chasing goals “beyond” them. And it’s possible not because they have all the knowledge or skills but because they are willing to learn it.
At its core, ambition is the desire to do more, be more, and contribute more. It’s not arrogance or perfectionism, which it is often misunderstood as. It is a belief in the possibility of better with a willingness to work for it. The belief that ability can be developed through effort. When leaders intentionally gather ambitious people, they are not just assembling talent. They are investing in a mindset. A team full of people who want to become more, to become a catalyst for collective growth. Great leaders select, encourage, and reward those who display the ambition to push and stretch themselves to accomplish challenging goals.
You cannot manufacture “ambition.”
Ambition is incredibly hard to create on purpose, and for good reason. Ambitious people don’t just fall in line. They challenge assumptions. They take risks. They fail fast and recover faster. This kind of environment requires psychological safety, clarity of vision, and leaders who don’t feel threatened by big thinkers.
And when it works, it is magic.
In high-performing teams, challenges do not deter people; they fuel them. There is always another level to reach, and everyone is leaning and learning toward it together.
The teams that win aren’t the ones who know it all; they are the ones who are willing to learn it all. #GrowthMindset
Ambition is a marker of a growth mindset.
Ambition is contagious. One person’s drive to improve sparks the same in another. Collect ambitious people whether you are building a great company or a great life for yourself.
Life lessons that you can’t afford to ignore
Ambition Doesn’t Knock. It Nudges
Last year, I was coaching a founder who was feeling stuck. Their vision was bold. Their ambition? Off the charts. But every conversation seemed to spiral back to the same frustration:
“I know where I want to go. I just don’t know what to do next.”
It felt like they were waiting for a perfect move. Maybe the big partnership, the product breakthrough, something to unlock momentum. But it wasn’t coming.
Instead of pushing harder, I asked:
“What’s the smallest possible action you’ve been avoiding that would move this forward, even if for clarity?”
Silence. And then,
“Honestly? A sales hire. I’ve been dodging for weeks.”
They scheduled interviews the very next day.
It wasn’t game-changing in the moment. But it unstuck everything.
And here’s the lesson they carried forward, and so did I.
Big ambition is fueled by small, courageous moves. And those moves compound.
If you’re waiting for a breakthrough, you’re probably sitting on it.
It may look like a 15-minute task you’ve been postponing.
A question you haven’t asked.
A fact you haven’t accepted.
Ambitious lives don’t unfold in grand scenes. They are built in invisible moments of clarity and courage. You’ve got this!
Best reads from the internet
Smart learning is learning from the best around you. Curated shares from the smartest on the internet. Ideas that aligned or challenged my thinking. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Balancing out ambition - How to develop right amount of ambition?
Counter perspective on ambition. This is an old article, from great resignation era
Summer is here, and it’s time for weird challenges people signup for. Here is one of the 30 day challenges someone shared with me
Muse
“The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus. People who get there are not necessarily the most gifted. They are the most driven. Ambition is not a lightning strike, it is a long burn.”
~ Robert Greene
What’s the smallest bold move you made recently that helped you grow?
Love this perspective and the writeup!