Working with Ambitious People

Ambitious people have a reputation. Strangely enough, the ambitious tend to have both an incredibly negative reputation and an incredibly positive one. In our culture, we value people who pull themselves up by their bootstraps and go out and make things happen. Terms like "self-starter" and "self-motivated" are strongly positive terms and when we see those describing someone, we assume that they are just the sort of person who can make things happen. On the flip side, we have also been conditioned to be wary of the overly-ambitious-these are the people who will climb over and destroy anyone and everything that gets in the way of them accomplishing their goals. When it comes to working with ambitious people, it is up to us to learn how to make the most of the circumstance.

Ambitious people want what they want-whether it is power, success, attention, money or whatever. If you are working with someone who is strongly ambitious, the first challenge is to discover what they are ambitious for. Figuring out what motivates the ambitious person can help you to learn whether or not that person is a threat. The ambitious person who is after your job or what you possess is much more of a threat than someone who is ambitious for success in his or her own right!

In fact, having an ambitious coworker can actually be a benefit to you in many circumstances. Someone who feels comfortable in the spotlight and is willing to take risks to move ahead can be a great teammate. Having a person like this in your department or working with you on projects and problems can be an inspiration to your own work and you might even be able to ride along on his or her coattails. It is important to cover your bases, however, and make sure that you are not overlooked, overshadowed, or taken advantage of. Make sure that you do your own work and ensure that others realize the work you are doing on your own as well as the work you do in association with others.

Learn to set your own boundaries and take care of yourself, but try not to get sucked up in any drama. There are those who will stop at nothing to gain attention and their ambitious nature seems to be thwarted or misdirected-these are the ambitious individuals to try and watch out for; protect yourself with distance and awareness.