Communal Ambition

Fostering a culture of responsibility and collaboration.

A four-letter word or a life motto, people’s take on ambition is said to reflect their values. Indeed, organisations’ cultures are shaped by what they consider to be « acceptable ambition ».  

Often, ambition is defined in the context of the importance of a goal or a position. It is required to undertake challenging endeavors, and perceived to be a leadership quality. It is personal and sometimes flamboyant.

However, this perception of ambition risks the creation of double standards, whereby ambitious behaviours are accepted, excused or celebrated for some, and refused for others. Gender dynamics is one of many examples where this is at play. 

A way around this might be to complement a productivity-driven approach (« what purpose does ambition serve? »), with a values-driven one (« what can we demand from ambitious people? »). For instance, ambition could be assessed with regard to whether the goal benefits one or the many, or according to the degree of benevolence expected from leaders in return for their ambition.

Hence, a values-driven take on ambition can clarify the « rules of the game » within organisations, ultimately contributing to fairness. Yet, the acceptability of ambition remains highly subjective.

« If this is the case, could we consider ambition to be « objectively good »? », asked the Mouse.

Productivity and values-driven approaches have in common the desire to set standards. Hence « good » ambition should be shared by the many and not be an attribute of the few.

To achieve this, ambition needs to reflect the core interests of an organisation. Depending on the situation, those interests will be better defended by some or others, and require different behaviours. Discreet or flamboyant, they will be in the service of the same ambition.

The benefits of interest-based ambition are twofold. First, it enables us to demand consistency from ambitious people, which is a factor of responsibility and, in turn, contributes to organisations’ cohesiveness. Secondly, understanding the underlying drivers of ambitious behaviours increases chances to identify shared interests beyond ambitious poses, which can lead to effective collaboration.

In a nutshell, « good » ambition is communal, as it sets standards without being self-serving. It cannot be achieved in isolation, and collaboration is its bedrock. 

Baptiste Raymond - 03/2022.