Valiant Ambition
Choose your ambitions wisely
“Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem.” — Abraham Lincoln, 1832
Ambition is strangely double-sided. Show too much of it, and you’re considered overly aggressive. Show too little and you’re weak.
And if you’re a woman, it’s even worse.
Ambition is viewed as healthy in men, a sign of competition and aspiration. But women are scrutinized and criticized for having ambition, being unfairly judged as pushy or unlikeable and suffering social consequences for it.
Aspiration and ambition are natural human traits — something we all have.
In a 2023 Forbes survey, 81% of women and 82% of men wanted to be promoted; however, another study found that women managers tend to have lower career ambitions and expectations than men, and may be less likely to be promoted.
A common misperception is that they intend to have families, but in fact, this disparity has more to do with company culture.
According to a BCG survey of 200,000 respondents, women’s ambition levels do vary, but they vary by company, not by family status. When companies create a positive culture and attitude regarding gender diversity, all women—mothers included—are eager to advance.1
As you consider your own plans, desires, and your definition you might think carefully about the kind of ambition you show.
It feels good to achieve things. But beware: being ego-driven is not the same as having ambition. Ambition comes from an inner drive, connected to your purpose.
You can think about ambition in two ways.
“As he was valiant,
I honor him.
But as he was ambitious,
I slew him.”
— William Shakespeare, 1599 (Julius Caesar)
Don’t miss this follow-up entry for our paid subscribers, filled with further links to help you think about how you define success and happiness, as you work on your skills and strengths.
Dangerous Ambition
The name Benedict Arnold is synonymous with traitor. But he didn’t start out that way.
In fact, Arnold was a talented soldier, praised by George Washington as “active, judicious, and brave…and I have no doubt of his adding much to the honors he has already acquired on the battlefield.”
But because the Continental Congress controlled appointments and promotions, Arnold was passed over for promotion to major general by five other lesser-qualified brigadier generals.
Arnold was understandably bitter. He attempted to resign his commission on July 11, 1777, but the offer was rejected as he was needed in battle again.
At Saratoga, where he helped defeat the British under General John Burgoyne, he was badly injured, a bullet shattering his femur.
As he lay in a hospital bed that autumn, the anger and outrage he used to fuel his battlefield bravery festered and turned inward, becoming an all-consuming passion.
Arnold’s skill went beyond the battlefield; he was also a considerable mariner. His leadership had been instrumental in the defeat of the British at Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain in 1775.
Driven by another, perhaps more insidious need, Arnold sought a commission in the new navy. He lived beyond his means, purchasing many fineries from British manufacturers, putting him in considerable debt.
In those early days of the navy, captains could partake in the spoils of any captured enemy and merchant ships, and Arnold’s dream was to have the same wealth and privilege as Horatio Gates and Philip Schuyler.
The toxic cocktail of his bitterness and financial requirements combined to make him vulnerable to an opportunity to betray his fellow countrymen in 1780, when he attempted to hand over West Point to the British.
As news of his treachery spread, ironically, it was likely that it helped reignite an ambition in the American people, who had sunken to despair and hopelessness about the war.
Arnold’s ambition did him in but perhaps saved America.
Laudable Ambition
Ambition driven by ego and external needs is a dangerous mix, as we see with Arnold. But there is a more admirable type of ambition.
In his biography John Adams, David McCullough wrote about a visit Ralph Waldo Emerson made to Adams in Quincy, Massachusetts in the latter’s final year of his life in 1825.
Emerson recounted the visit and noted what Adams said to him:
“‘I would to God there were more ambition in the country,’ by which he meant, “ambition of the laudable kind. To excel.”
We might call that conscientiousness, taking pride in your work, and a commitment to excellence.
It comes from within and isn’t necessarily bound by external accolades.
Perhaps it’s a commitment to virtue — to character.
There’s so much to learn,
Further Reading:
Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution by Nathaniel Philbrick. Viking, 2016.
John Adams by David McCullough. Simon & Schuster, 2003.
BCG: Dispelling the Myths of the Gender “Ambition Gap” https://www.bcg.com/publications/2017/people-organization-leadership-change-dispelling-the-myths-of-the-gender-ambition-gap
The AMC series called “Turn” a show about Washington’s spies does an excellent job of showing what happens with Arnold. The show should be mandatory for seeing what effort and collaboration was necessary to govern ourselves.