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How are ambitious people? 7 traits and behaviors in common

How are ambitious people? 7 traits and behaviors in common

March 4, 2024

The ambition . A very positive quality in the eyes of some, and a sample of excessive competitiveness for others. Ambitious people arouse admiration, but also criticism and envy. Why is this like this? 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 go to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy, the term ambition has two meanings:


So that, the first definition proposes to us the ambition like that longing to obtain power and material possessions , while the second only refers to a special effort to get "something", without specifying very well what it is.

This leads us to think that, being prudent, ambition is not a negative attribute by itself. We all have the right to want to improve our living conditions, both material and any other. There is nothing wrong in wanting to prosper, yes, as long as one is respectful of others and honest in their way of acting .

Ambitious people: what behaviors define them?

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


Ambition can be a very valuable feature when it comes to carving out a promising job future. Companies, especially in the wake of the crisis, look for employees who know how to develop business units and ambitious 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, anxious. It is quite possible that On many occasions the adjective "ambitious" is associated to people who bring their desires of power and riches to unhealthy limits , but we will try to discover, only, the ambitious people in the good sense, to learn from everything that can bring us something positive.


Ambition, then, can be a useful quality in life, because gives us tenacity and resistance to the inconveniences , it makes us progress despite the difficulties and keep learning and developing while we walk the road.

The following seven points describe behaviors, attitudes and characteristics of ambitious people . If you are a little unmotivated, you can always take notes and apply these principles to your life. Let us begin!

1. Objectives and challenges are proposed

Ambitious people have a map and know how to move to get to their destination . Sometimes, the map is confusing and the roads are blurred, but ambition leads them to discover for themselves new and better ways to achieve a successful conclusion. The ambitious share a key feature: persistence.

2. They are capable of taking risks

Ambition is a quality that also brings together the ability to be brave , control anxiety and face a world full of difficulties. Ambitious people continue to work their way despite all the 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, surely the fruits that are collected at the end of the road will 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 do not gain anything from explaining it there . Prudence is a quality of people who are determined to carry out their projects.

4. They are proactive

Do you know the concept of procrastination? Is about that defect so habitual in our days, by which we tend to leave for 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 who start working, without waiting for everything to be perfectly coordinated. To be ambitious is to concentrate on the execution of the projects, it is not simply to "have ideas" but to carry them out.

5. Enhance your creativity

Ambition does not come from nothing, but from the ability to soak up new knowledge and to know how to combine them to create new ideas, services and products. Ambitious people master this skill perfectly, they always have an ace up their sleeve.

Learn more: "The 14 keys to enhance your creativity"

6. Are surrounded by efficient equipment

Being ambitious is having a proactive mentality . But big projects can only be developed with powerful, intelligent and committed teams. The environment is a key factor in the successful completion of ambitious projects. It is often said that we are the average success of the five people with whom we have more contact on a day to day basis. It is only a theory, but it can contain a part of truth.

7. Compete against themselves, not against others

The well-understood ambition is that practiced by people who only seek to improve themselves, day after day . Unbridled ambition can lead us to always have our competitors in the spotlight, but that is not very healthy or very productive to continue growing. If you want to improve and achieve your goals, analyze your own movements and your attitude: that's the key to success.


08 common Interview question and answers - Job Interview Skills (March 2024).


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