What is it that drags some people to perform spectacular acts, to fulfill their aspirations above anyone's expectations and to leave a lasting mark on all those around them? Most of us have dreams of greatness from an early age. We see ourselves growing and becoming our life models, whether they are our parents, teachers, or sports idols. We get inspired as we read in our school books about national heroes and great inventors. All these experiences develop in us the sense of ambition.
Ambitious individuals tend to emerge when a new technology or way of thinking invades the world. During those times archetypal figures appear. James Champy (co-author of the book "Reengineering the Corporation") and Nitin Nohria (professor at the Harvard Business School) claim that ambition is the essential ingredient that transforms a simple idea into a global business, dethrones an empire, or transform an immigrant family into a financial dynasty. For this to happen, ambition has to have one characteristic: to be practical.
From longing to fulfillment
What characterizes practical ambition is that it endows the person who possesses it with a certain capacity to see the world more clearly; see obstacles without the "fog of fear." Through action, you take dreams further and find ways to act, whether it's solving problems or taking steps to overcome them.
A good example of practical ambition is that of innovators, who pioneer new technologies to the point of making a traditional field obsolete. Ernest Hemingway, whose concise style broke with the Victorian parameters that were maintained in novel writing, is an example in the field of literature. In science Albert Einstein and Jonas Salk were also innovators.
Consider the case of the Wright brothers. They achieved what others simply dreamed of: the flight of man. Together they revolutionized transportation and the war industry forever.
The Wrights never finished their university studies, but they had an admirable ability for mechanics. In 1894 they read about the first successful attempts of human gliders and decided that they were going to try something similar. In the following years they experimented with different configurations, until they finally managed to make a glider rise from the ground.
But they did not stop there. Instead, they focused on achieving self-propelled flight. On December 17, 1903, they achieved the first powered flight and in 1908 they had a contract with the War Department to produce aircraft that managed to fly at 40 miles per hour.
Another model, closer to the business world, is that of entrepreneurs. They are the ones who market the new technologies with so much energy that they cause radical changes in the economic structures of the moment. For example, the communications technology used worldwide has been rebuilt three times in the last 70 years: from the telegraph to the telephone, from cable to satellite and now… the Internet!
A place that serves coffee has nothing particularly new. But building 2,000 coffee shops that consistently serve quality coffee in an attractive setting is new. Howard Schultz turned that idea into the international "Starbucks" franchise system, creating an empire that stretches from New York to Beijing to Vienna…
Ted Turner did not invent the news, but created a channel that offers it 24 hours a day…
Schultz and Turner saw something that others never saw and turned it into a whole new business.
Opportunity, Realism and Inspiration
Dreams and determination combine to produce practical ambition. Consider the Nelson Mandela journey. Mandela's dream of transforming South African racist society into a multiracial democracy took him over 50 years. His determination to achieve that dream, led him to continue fighting despite the intense torments suffered by his people - and himself -, until in May 1994 he became President of South Africa.
Strong character and willpower are required to hold on to a dream under adverse circumstances. Success does not come easily: perseverance is essential. Without the ability to persist, it is not possible to speak of practical ambition.
Ambitious people ignore the limits of the old and have the courage to explore the new. They see something where the others see nothing. Sometimes that "something" is an intellectual revolution, like Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. Others, it is something as simple as taking a familiar object and turning it into something new and original. Be that as it may, practical ambition always results from the combination of opportunity, inspiration and realism.
Opportunity: Opportunities are not recognized unless you have the right knowledge. Knowledge can transform into an acceptable opportunity, something that - otherwise - could be considered as an absurd risk. With knowledge, what seems crazy to some can really be a measured and calculated risk for those who are prepared.
Inspiration: People who reach exceptional heights usually have a sense of a clear goal and a strong purpose that serve as "true north." The most satisfying of these purposes goes beyond making money and focuses on higher assets. This gives - to all his acts - a greater meaning.
The need for meaning drags every human being to create, build, or pursue achievement. A valuable cause is highly attractive. Many of the great filmmakers have seen their goals as a calling and pursued them with a sense of mission. However, a purpose does not have to be extravagant or immense to be meaningful. An ambitious purpose may be an honest vehicle sales business, or a trustworthy warehouse.
Realism: The ability to walk a tightrope at risk - without falling - is a rare ability in business. They must recognize their own limitations, learning not to be scared or seduced by any opportunity. You should not fall into the trap of thinking that you are invincible because you will end up paying a very high price in disappointments.
A new business can be triggered by the founder's ambition, his imagination, and the strength of his ego. But it cannot survive unless attention is paid to the nuts and bolts of daily operation. Businesses have their foundations in reality. Realism and discipline are needed in times of rapid growth. We all want everything: more money, more power, more pleasure. But growth has its real limits.
Ambition and integrity
Compromise is bad for ambition. Inevitably the time will come when decisions between right and wrong have to be faced. The right decision can be expensive, while the wrong one is sometimes the easiest. But integrity is too valuable to "squander" on short-term gains.
Submitting to ethical values is not an abstract exercise. Irreproachable integrity is never at odds with ambition, nor with success. Rather - as a person strengthens her character - her reputation improves, she becomes better known, and so others join her cause from unexpected places.
