Self-management | The pros and cons of your ambition

Having ambition is an important aspect of a professional leader. It is a trait that can allow any leader to triumph workplace challenges, fuel creative thought and feed entrepreneurial spirit. And these are all powerful leadership qualities.

In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the author, Ron Carucci, reflected on an experience where he was facilitating a Board of Directors succession committee where the next CEO would be selected. While perceived ambition levels shouldn't be the sole consideration in an interview, as identified by Carucci, it is important for leaders to consider how they may come across.

He said that, when determining the more suitable candidate, the committee chair observed that one candidate was too ambitious whilst the other wasn’t ambitious enough – both of which are problematic for different reasons.

If a candidate is overly ambitious, it may come across as arrogant, can tarnish reputations, relationships and can actually result in overall failure.