What do ambitious people look like? 7 traits and behaviors in common

Ambition, a quality or a defect? We explain the keys to understanding this trait.

Ambition. A very positive quality in the eyes of some, and a sign of excessive competitiveness for others. Ambitious people arouse admiration, but also criticism and envy. Why is this so? In today's article we will describe ambition as a concept, and we will also generate a psychological and behavioral profile of people who are ambitious.

Ambition: virtue or defect?

If we turn to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academythe term ambition has two meanings:

Thus, the first definition proposes ambition as that yearning to achieve power and material possessions, while the second only refers to a special effort to achieve "the desire to achieve".while the second only refers to a special effort to achieve "something", without specifying very well what it is.

This leads us to think that, being prudent, ambition is not a negative attribute in itself. We all have the right to want to improve our living conditions, both material and otherwise. There is nothing wrong with wanting to prosper, as long as we are respectful of others and honest in the way we act..

Ambitious people: what behaviors define them?

So, what are some of the things that characterize ambitious people? What are the characteristics of ambitious people? What are the limits of ambition? Can we, from Psychology, help unmotivated individuals to become more ambitious in their lives? These are questions that we will answer now (or at least we will try to).

Ambition can be a very valuable trait when it comes to building a promising working future. Companies, especially in the wake of the crisis, are looking for employees who know how to develop ambitious business units and projects, and not workers who are limited to performing mechanical tasks.

The 7 traits and behaviors of ambitious people

We could say that some synonyms of the concept "ambitious", as we will use it in this text, could be: persevering, constant, longing. It is quite possible that on many occasions the adjective "ambitious" is associated with people who take their desire for power and wealth to unhealthy limitsBut we will only try to discover ambitious people in the good sense, in order to learn from everything that can bring us something positive.

Ambition, then, can be a useful quality in life, because it endows us with tenacity and determination. it gives us tenacity and endurance in the face of inconveniences.The following are some of the most important aspects of our work, which help us to progress in spite of the difficulties and to continue learning and developing as we go along the way.

The following seven points seven points describe behaviors, attitudes and traits of ambitious people.. If you are a bit discouraged, you can always take notes and apply these principles to your life. Let's get started!

1. They set goals and challenges

Ambitious people have a map and know how to get around to reach their destination.. Sometimes the map is confusing and the paths are blurred, but ambition leads them to discover for themselves new and better ways to reach their destination. Ambitious people share a key trait: persistence.

2. They are capable of taking risks

Ambition is a quality that also brings together the ability to be courageous, to control anxiety and to face the challenges of life.They are able to control anxiety and face a world full of difficulties. Ambitious people continue to forge ahead despite all problems, and are able to take risks that other people would consider unacceptable. The greater the challenge, the greater the ambition with which it must be faced. Of course, the fruits to be harvested at the end of the road will surely be much sweeter.

3. They do not boast of their achievements

Ambitious people know that their personal and work plan is private, and that they have nothing to gain from explaining it. they have nothing to gain from explaining it around.. Prudence is a quality of people who are determined to see their projects through to completion.

4. They are proactive

Do you know the concept of procrastination? It is the that defect so common nowadays, whereby we tend to put off until tomorrow what we could do today.. Laziness is a burden for the ambitious attitude, since it prevents us from moving forward. Ambitious people know that they must be the ones to start working themselves, without waiting for everything to be perfectly coordinated. To be ambitious is to focus on the execution of projects, not simply "having ideas" but carrying them out.

5. They enhance their creativity

Ambition is not born out of nothing, but out of the ability to absorb new knowledge and to know how to combine them in order to and to know how to combine them to create new ideas, services and products. Ambitious people master this skill to perfection, they always have an ace up their sleeve.

Learn more: "The 14 keys to boost your creativity". 6. They surround themselves with efficient teams

To be ambitious is to have a proactive mentality.. But great projects can only be developed with powerful, intelligent and committed teams. The environment is a key factor in bringing ambitious projects to fruition. It is often said that we are the average success rate of the five people with whom we have the most contact on a daily basis. It's just a theory, but it may hold some truth.

7. They compete against themselves, not against others.

Ambition properly understood is practiced by people who seek only to surpass themselves, day after day.. Excessive ambition can lead us to always have our competition in our sights, but that is not very healthy or very productive in order to continue growing. If you want to improve and achieve your goals, analyze your own movements and attitude: that is the key to success.