Ambition is fine but it can be achieved in a healthier way
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AMBITION is natural to humans. But it will only lead to fulfillment if you balance it with pursuing personal growth and well-being. Authors Nicolai Chen Nielsen and Nicolai Tillisch explain how to make ambition work for you. The interview is conducted by Sara Kuepfer, a staff writer for getAbstract in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Q: Nicolai Chen Nielsen and Nicolai Tillisch, how do you define “ambition”?
Nicolai Chen Nielsen: We define ambition as a strong yearning and drive to reach a future state that’s different from today’s, is personally meaningful and challenging to get to. Our definition differs from others because it encompasses all three of these components. We keep our definition broad on purpose to include as many people as possible. Most people have something they want to reach or harbor an inner drive toward something.
Q: What are some of the misconceptions people have about ambition?
Nielsen: Ambition is often misunderstood and also not talked about enough. In some countries, it’s even a little bit taboo to say, “I have ambitions.” We find that to be a problem. Ambition is a yearning and drive, and it’s something that’s innate in most humans. It can be used for good and also less beneficial purposes. Regardless, talking about your ambition helps you figure out what is important to you and how you want to contribute to society.
Q: What findings surprised you the most while you worked on your book “Return on Ambition”?
Nielsen: Over 90 percent of professionals we surveyed globally, across industries, the arts and sciences, and so forth, characterize themselves as being ambitious or highly ambitious. This surprised me. Another interesting finding came out of our in-depth interviews. Most people who reported feeling fulfilled today went through at least one very painful experience, often precipitated by ambition.
Q: Of all the people you have interviewed, what do people who report a high return on ambition have in common? What do they get right?
Nicolai Tillisch: People who report a high return on ambition are very good at balancing achievement, growth and well-being over time. People who are both successful and report feeling fulfilled pay close attention to all three aspects on a continuous basis. They might make temporary compromises, but in general, they are really good at balancing the three.
Nielsen: Yes, and they are also very self-aware. They make very conscious choices on an ongoing basis to ensure they keep the three components in balance.
Tillisch: The notion of work-life balance is interesting because it doesn’t really apply. For many ambitious people, their work is part of their life. They need to define for themselves what balance looks like for them.
Q: Would you have approached the topic of ambition differently if you had written the book after the start of the pandemic?
Tillisch: As devastating as the pandemic has been, it has opened many people’s eyes to how much corporate professionals have been suffering in terms of poor mental well-being. A main conclusion from our research, all conducted pre-pandemic, has been that well-being drives people’s long-term success. Well-being doesn’t just mean switching off. It is about how you burn your light. It’s about how people live their lives. It’s very personal. Unbeknownst to us at the time of writing, I think our book reflects the zeitgeist we are in right now surrounding the topic of well-being.
Nielsen: I don’t know if I would have approached the main part of the book differently. We started with the aspiration of bringing self-coaching and personal development tools to more people. Our book helps people gain greater self-awareness and make more deliberate choices regarding their ambitions. One thing I would add today is a chapter on how companies can create an environment that enables ambitious people to thrive. People spend a third of their lives at work. Helping people thrive at work is not just about adding a few company-sponsored well-being initiatives. It’s about radically rethinking the future of work. It’s about integrating achievement, growth and well-being into everything a company does.
Q: At what point does ambition become counterproductive?
Tillisch: One thing that is very dangerous is for people to drop their ambitions, which are usually deeply ingrained. You may think that the logical step for someone who is stressed or burned out is to just let go of their ambition. But people cannot just switch off. Many people who are under pressure are not burned out. What they need to learn is how to use their flame more appropriately. A lot of the literature around stress and burnout prescribes something that is alien to people who are naturally ambitious. Ambitious people need to learn how to be ambitious in a healthier way. They don’t need to be talked out of what they are striving for.
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