Many of the most talented team members are unusually ambitious.
They strive to advance, achieve extraordinary outcomes, and tackle meaningful challenges. They seek assignments that stretch their skills and insist on the room to make significant decisions.
The desire to excel and continually raise the bar becomes a critical part of who they are. Their ambition is impressive.
But where does it come from?
Not all highly talented people are highly ambitious, but most are.
Here’s why.
High ability at a young age or at school produces a view of what is possible. When a person excels early, they imagine high levels of success and see a realistic path to reach them.
Those with early signs of talent naturally receive more positive feedback and encouragement because of their abilities. This fortifies their self-view.
The more recognition they receive, the more quickly they develop a sense that their abilities will continue to be rewarded if they invest in them. So, they begin to work hard at advancing their skills.
Over time, with some success, they internalize the self-identity of a high achiever, making ambitious goals feel normal and expected.
As their talent continues to attract opportunities and rewards, it strengthens their desire to achieve even more.
What happens next is self-reinforcing.
Highly talented people are more likely to compare themselves to strong peers. This makes anything other than top evaluations feel like underperformance, which, in turn, raises their internal standards and ambition for excellence.
The more they achieve, the more they expect to accomplish.
Of course, confidence comes along with that attitude, which further reinforces their success and ambition.
While personality influences persistence and the tendency to set long-term goals, contrary to popular wisdom, ambition is mostly a learned attitude.
Family expectations, role models, and life events all contribute to explaining why some people are more ambitious than others.
Advanced abilities play a big role. When people see their efforts and abilities rewarded, they usually become more ambitious as a result.
Leaders who select talent would be wise to explore how ambitious people are. It is so commonly connected to higher skill and abilities; ignoring the connection means missing a clear indicator that can cut through the noise surrounding a candidate’s true abilities.
In most cases, ambition and talent are two sides of the same coin.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
