The drive to shape and pursue a meaningful and progressive career path through intentional growth, exploration, and contribution. It involves taking ownership of one’s development, setting clear goals, seeking feedback and challenge, and aligning personal aspirations with organisational needs.
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan
Why career ambition matters
Career ambition matters because leaders who take ownership of their growth bring energy, direction, and momentum to their teams. They set clear aspirations, seek stretch opportunities, and build the skills required for future roles. This proactive stance improves talent depth, succession strength, and organisational agility. When leaders actively shape their development, they model purposeful growth and encourage others to pursue high performance and meaningful contribution.
Without career ambition, leaders risk stagnation, reduced motivation, and narrow thinking. Teams may experience lower confidence in their leaders and less clarity about future direction. In complex environments, a lack of ambition leaves organisations vulnerable to capability gaps and missed opportunities. When leaders pursue development intentionally, they build resilience, adapt to shifting demands, and strengthen their credibility as role models who take responsibility for their impact and future.
“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” – Chris Grosser
What good and bad looks like in career ambition
| What bad looks like | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Focuses mainly on comfort and predictability, choosing work that feels safe rather than developmental. Shows little curiosity about future roles or broader responsibilities. | Seeks stretch that builds capability and readiness for future roles. Chooses work that develops new skills and widens perspective, even when it feels challenging or unfamiliar. |
| Waits for managers or HR to drive development. Relies on others to identify opportunities and feels passive about progress. | Takes ownership of development by setting direction, identifying opportunities, and pursuing experiences that strengthen long-term growth. Uses guidance from others but does not depend on it. |
| Avoids visibility and hesitates to share aspirations. Misses opportunities for sponsorship because leaders do not know their goals or potential. | Communicates career aspirations with clarity and confidence. Creates visibility by demonstrating progress and impact, making it easier for leaders to sponsor opportunities that fit. |
| Interprets feedback defensively or avoids seeking it altogether. Struggles to connect feedback to real development needs. | Actively seeks feedback from multiple sources and uses it to refine strengths, address gaps, and guide career decisions. Treats feedback as a resource for growth rather than a judgement. |
| Turns down opportunities that require effort, change, or uncertainty. Prioritises convenience over learning. | Evaluates opportunities through a growth lens and accepts challenges that build experience. Understands that development sometimes requires discomfort, trade-offs, or risk. |
| Focuses narrowly on existing expertise and avoids exploring new areas. Limits career options through over specialisation. | Builds breadth by exploring new contexts, roles, and skills. Understands how varied experiences strengthen long-term adaptability and open paths that may not be immediately visible. |
| Responds to setbacks by withdrawing, losing confidence, or blaming circumstances. Treats obstacles as confirmation of limitations. | Approaches setbacks constructively and uses them to adjust, learn, and re-engage. Maintains momentum by viewing obstacles as part of a longer developmental journey. |
| Waits for promotions to signal progress and becomes frustrated when they do not appear quickly. Misinterprets lateral moves as failure. | Views growth as multidimensional and values lateral moves that broaden capability. Builds a diverse portfolio of achievements and understands that strong careers evolve through varied pathways. |
“If you do not design your own life plan, chances are you will fall into someone else’s plan.” – Jim Rohn
Barriers to career ambition
Lack of ambition: Some leaders are simply bored with their current roles or don’t trust the organization enough to see a future there.
Reluctance to sacrifice: The unwillingness to make personal or professional sacrifices can impede career growth.
Poor self-marketing: Leaders often do not know how to effectively market themselves or are uncomfortable with self-promotion.
Over-analysis: A tendency to over-examine situations can lead to missed opportunities and indecision.
Comfort zone: Being too comfortable in their current position can make leaders hesitant to pursue new opportunities.
Passive attitude: Waiting for things to happen rather than taking proactive steps can stall career progress.
Limited career knowledge: Not understanding how career advancement works and how to navigate it can be a significant barrier.
Fear of risk: A reluctance to take chances can prevent leaders from seizing new opportunities.
Unclear career goals: Uncertainty about what they want from their career can lead to a lack of direction and motivation.
Reluctance to speak up: Hesitation to express career aspirations and needs can result in missed opportunities for advancement.
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
Enablers of career ambition
Reflect on your value: Assess your strengths and areas for improvement through a 360° review. Reflect on how others perceive your strengths as well as experience and build up core competencies needed for the future
Get some sparring partners: Gather a group of trusted advisors, such as mentors, colleagues, or family members, to provide objective feedback on your career aspirations and concerns. Aim to regularly seek their advice and listen to their insights.
Understand how careers are built: Understand that successful careers are built on performance and problem-solving, not politics. Focus on excelling in your current role, developing notable strengths, and seeking new challenges to broaden your experience.
Get out of your comfort zone: Engage in activities outside your usual responsibilities. Take courses in new areas, volunteer for cross-functional projects, and task trade with peers to gain a broader set of experiences and skills.
Learn from the best: Identify successful individuals in your field and learn from their experiences. Understand the technical and behavioural skills required for advancement and align your efforts with what higher management values in your role.
Build your brand: Build a diverse track record by initiating, fixing, and innovating projects. Focus on performance and variety to demonstrate broad thinking and readiness for new opportunities
Get noticed: Demonstrate your value by solving critical issue and adding significant value. Volunteer for high-visibility projects and present your work to higher management. Let people know about it. Explore “Working Out Loud”.
Take the challenge: Be willing to accept career opportunities even if they come at inconvenient times. Many successful careers involve making challenging moves that require personal sacrifices but lead to significant growth and advancement.
Flex forward: Instead of waiting for a direct promotion, seek lateral moves to gain new experiences and perspectives. This approach can be more developmental and beneficial for long-term career growth than a straightforward promotion within the same area.
Diversify your talents: Avoid focusing solely on your core competence. Develop a broad set of skills to enhance your employability in a changing job market. Be prepared to switch organisations and roles to pursue new opportunities and stay relevant in your career.
“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” – Sheryl Sandberg
Reflection questions for career ambition
How confident are you in your current strengths and abilities? What feedback have you received that highlight possible areas for growth?
Who are the trusted advisors in your life that you can regularly seek career advice from? How often could you consult with them?
What have you learned about the realities of building a successful career? How are you applying this knowledge in your current role?
What new activities or projects have you considered taking on to expand your skills and experiences? How can you step out of your comfort zone this year?
Who are the successful people in your field that you admire, and what specific qualities or experiences do they have that you can learn from?
How are you building a track record of diverse and impactful achievements in your current role? What steps can you take to enhance your career brand?
In what ways have you demonstrated your problem-solving skills and initiative to higher management? What opportunities can you pursue to increase your visibility?
What career opportunities have you considered but hesitated to pursue due to personal comfort? How might taking these opportunities benefit your long-term career growth?
Are there lateral moves within your organisation available that could provide valuable new experiences? How can you position yourself to take advantage of these opportunities?
How are you broadening your skills to remain employable in a rapidly changing job market? What new competencies or knowledge areas should you focus on developing?
“The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.” – Oprah Winfrey
Micro practices in career ambition
1. Map your growth priorities
Identify two capabilities that would meaningfully improve your readiness for future roles and analyse where you can build them through current work. Use this clarity to choose projects, responsibilities, or collaborations that accelerate your development without waiting for formal opportunities.
2. Turn feedback into action experiments
Request targeted feedback on a specific behaviour and select one change to test in real work. Apply the shift consistently, observe the impact, and refine your approach. This turns feedback into concrete behavioural growth rather than abstract insight.
3. Seek stretch through purposeful swapping
Offer to exchange tasks or responsibilities with a peer to gain exposure to different challenges or contexts. Choose swaps that build skills you lack and allow others to benefit from your strengths. This creates development through everyday work without relying on formal rotations.
4. Build a visible narrative of progress
Regularly summarise your most meaningful achievements and learning moments into a short, clear narrative you can share with mentors and senior stakeholders. This strengthens visibility while helping you track your trajectory and identify the next development step.
5. Test career ideas through micro-shadowing
Arrange short shadowing moments with leaders in roles you are curious about. Use these sessions to understand the realities of the work, the skills required, and the challenges involved. This helps you make informed career choices based on direct insight rather than assumptions.
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.” – Zoey Sayward