It’s widely assumed by many that ambition is by and large a “good” thing. Afterall, it’s ambition that pushes us forward toward our best selves and our goals. However, an ambitious mindset can turn into a toxic mindset quickly and it can be difficult to see in the moment. At Technalink, we teach our teams how to keep ambitions healthy and how to know if you’re toeing that toxic line.
Healthy ambition focuses a great deal on personal growth, reaching goals, and upliftment. Toxic ambition can be viewed as the opposite. A few signs of ambition going toward the toxic end of the spectrum include:
- Your goals are rooted in a desire for power – Rather than desiring self-improvement or progress in your compassionate leadership, goals that are rooted in a desire for power are a sure sign that ambition has turned toxic. Great leaders lift up those around them, not step over them to get ahead.
- Goals are more important than connections – Reaching your goals is important, but it’s not the most important thing over your relationships and connections. When achieving your goals becomes more important than nurturing your professional connections and relationships, you’re moving into toxic territory. It’s important to remember that these relationships will provide you with more benefit and more fulfillment long-term than making any goal, and they’re not worth risking in the name of being ambitious.
- Your work/life balance suffers – Work/life balance is crucial to remaining your best self. Just as you should prioritize your connections and relationships in your personal and professional lives, you should prioritize your connection with yourself. Neglecting your own work/life balance is a sign that your ambition is perhaps going too far.
- You find yourself obsessed – Focus on your goals and progress is a great thing, but focus should never lead to obsession. When moving up and moving forward becomes all you think about, you’ll quickly find you feel chronic stress and all of the physical symptoms that come along with it. Once this stress sets in, you’re well on your way to chronic anxiety and even worse going forward.
The OM Factor, now on audiobook, can teach you a bit about healthy ambition and how you can keep your ambition in line with your spiritual leadership. By prioritizing your well-being, connection, and growth, you’re better able to allow ambition to take up a healthy space in your life.
Leave a Reply