Caroline Dowd-Higgins Fonder & Principal Caroline Dowd-Higgins LLC
The modern career landscape offers endless possibilities for where and how you can work. To navigate it successfully, it’s important to be intentional about becoming a promotable team player and to thoughtfully choose the kinds of leaders you want to work with (or avoid).
In a mock interview with my client Collette, I asked if she considered herself ambitious. Her reaction was immediate she recoiled as if I’d used an offensive term. Collette is focused, intelligent, and confident, and she’s actively pursuing her first senior executive leadership role. Still, the word “ambitious” made her uncomfortable.
She explained that she never wanted to be seen as the cutthroat type someone who would step on colleagues to get ahead. To her, ambition carried a negative connotation that clashed with her professional image as a respectful, team-oriented person.
This sparked a powerful conversation about the dual nature of ambition. Yes, it can be associated with pushiness or ruthlessness but that’s only one side of the story. Collette had never considered the positive, empowering side of ambition: how it could drive her to engage more deeply with her work and take meaningful steps toward growth. Together, we redefined ambition in a positive light as being a go-getter, driven, and motivated. That shift resonated with her, and she proudly embraced ambition as part of her personal brand.
How Ambitious Should You Be?
Your definition of ambition is yours to shape. Give yourself permission to reframe it as something that fuels your professional goals rather than undermines your image. As you explore what ambition means to you, keep these points in mind:
- Define who you are on your own terms.
- Be clear about how you want to be perceived in your professional world.
- Make a conscious effort to present that version of yourself.
- Focus on how ambition highlights your motivation, your readiness for opportunity, and your ability to handle change.
And most importantly put it into action. When your manager asks about your career goals, be ready with a confident answer that reflects where you truly want to go.
I worked with Collette to help her clarify her goals and articulate them effectively to her network and in interviews. The result? People around her clearly understood her vision and could support her ambitions.
Being too modest or aiming too low can limit your career progression. If you are ambitious like I am own it. Speak confidently about what you want and how you plan to achieve it.
Your Ambition Action Plan
Once you’ve defined ambition in your own words, use that power to create a clear, motivating action plan. Here’s how to start:
- Set goals. Define what success looks like for you.
- Take risks. Step outside your comfort zone.
- Invest in yourself. Commit to continuous learning and development.
- Eliminate negativity. Let go of self-doubt and toxic influences.
- Don’t wait. Start where you are, with what you have.
6. Surround yourself with positive, ambitious people
By putting your professional goals out into the world, you are more likely to create opportunities that align with your values because others will have a clear expectation of what you want. Take pride in your ambition and own it with a confidence that is professionally palatable and will position you to be considered for new opportunities you seek.
I explore ambition further in my new book, Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life. This practical guide offers real-world strategies to help you meet challenges, celebrate wins, and reach your career goals.
Caroline Dowd-Higgins is passionate about unlocking the art-of-the-possible in her work with individuals and organizations as a dynamic speaker, a certified executive coach, a best-selling author, and sought-after talent development consultant. Her new best-selling book, “Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life” is empowering people to enjoy their careers and love their lives. She is aTop Leadership Development Voice for LinkedInand hosts the award winning podcast, Your Working Life with listeners in 34 countries. Caroline is proud to be a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Her celebratedTEDxWomentalk about reframing failure is available on Youtube