Growing up in a blue-collar family, ambition was something deeply frowned on. “You sure read a lot, Scott”, certain family members would say. “You must think you’re some kind of intellectual!”
“Columbia Law School? Why pay all that money when a local school would give you a scholarship?”
“Those weird college classes you’re taking: how are they going to help you get a job?”
Fortunately, I never truly absorbed their ambivalence about ambition, probably because I was so determined to leave my hometown—an act that, itself, fueled ambition, even if that ambition was driven by desperation.
But even in the hyper-competitive, success-oriented world I ultimately wound up in -- amongst attorneys and those of equal professional stature -- I have been surprised at how often I continue to encounter ambivalence around ambition.
Unlike the working-class family members I grew up with, who viewed ambition as stepping outside of your pre-ordained social “place,” the professional aversion to ambivalence I've seen appears to be more rooted in fear of failure.
Lawyers and similar highly-educated, skilled “knowledge workers” usually come into their positions because of a history of educational and social success. A certain level of comfort can come when one succeeds, seemingly all the time. It’s something that many people get used to -- and as this pattern repeats, failure seems, at first, alien … and later, outright terrifying.
The result: aversion to ambition, which, when outside of your comfort zone, all but invites the prospect of failure.
I tell my clients who shy away from Olympian greatness, even as they paradoxically feel its pull within, what I have found: that as many times as I’ve learned to step beyond my comfort zone –-- decided to step into my own ambitions –-- that fear of failure never really goes away. That was certainly an issue when I recently applied for, and was accepted by, two separate TEDx events, taking place exactly two weeks apart.
They were in separate parts of the country -- thus, both required travel. They required completely different speeches, which meant writing, revising, dramatizing, and memorizing two distinct performances at the same time. And the organizers (who were EXCELLENT) had schedules, expectations, and processes in place that ran on parallel lines -- but within distinct time frames.
In other words, it was a recipe for personal disaster -- and a public one, at that. And, make no mistake, I was very aware of that possibility the whole time.
But I survived it. Just this week, the first of these speeches -- about how the Greek myth of Orpheus can help you become a more charismatic leader, galvanizing the people and resources needed to help you catapult to the heights of Mt. Olympus -- went public. You can catch it by pressing the link below. If you like it -- or know anyone who can benefit from becoming more charismatic -- go ahead and share it. It just may change the career of someone you care about!
If I could pull this off, my fears notwithstanding, you can, too. And I learned some important lessons along the way. One of the most important is that putting in that extra effort—and taking that extra risk—teaches lessons not just through the process itself but also through those you meet along the way.
For instance, my fellow speakers at the two events included a future governor of Texas (I promise—he’ll pull it off), a deeply committed veteran’s advocate, a joint Boston University and MIT professor, an author of eight books, and student scholars who presented genuinely impressive and original thinking. I learned more from them than I would have ever imagined. I cannot imagine their influence won’t seep into my practice, and I am eternally grateful for it.
In the meantime, don't YOU ever fear ambition -- or failure. Simply by being the sort of professional who would read a blog like this, you’ve demonstrated the commitment to self-growth, out-of-the-box transformation, and leadership that all but guarantees that, short-term setbacks aside, your ambitions will succeed.
I want your future to be EPIC!
PS: some key players at TEDxApex have both the Olympian skills and the ambition of the Titans, making them well worth knowing and working with whenever possible. They include:
⚡ Eraina Ferguson, the event’s curator organizer and a Senior Product Marketing Specialist for CVS Health. I’ve told her she needs to the the COO of the entire world. It’s no joke; she’s that good. Follow her at: https://erainaferguson.com/
⚡ 621 Video Productions, LLC: these professional video editors provided the stunning audio and video, as well as the beautiful edits. Learn more about them here: https://www.621productions.com/
⚡ Earl Morgan, owner of Asinto Photography: the unbelievably high-quality photos for the event, including the one at the top of this page, were taken by Earl. Follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/earlmorgan/
⚡ Karuna Jain, Event Volunteer and fellow TEDx speaker, is also a hypnotherapist, energy healer, and life coach. Uncover more about her here: www.karuna-healing.com/
I'm Scott Mason, The Myth Slayer. I am an attorney and former C-Suite executive, coach, speaker, podcaster, and Master of the Mythic. I graduated from Columbia Law School and have spent years drawing on the full depth of a background spanning the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to provide lawyers feeling stuck or stagnant in their careers or as leaders with a unique (and fun!) system to help them live a life that's epic.
Click here to discover more about me, my mission, and how it can help you.
If you've ever said, "I'm capable of more -- and I want it?" ... then download my five-minute self-assessment, and I'll show you how to elevate your leadership, increase your impact, and find your powerhouse personal voice NOW!
Yes, indeed as you say, "The result: aversion to ambition, which, when outside of your comfort zone, all but invites the prospect of failure."
I always test myself and my clients, as I know you do too, Scott, and that's where the extra value lies in guiding their work to go a few steps outside their usual perimeter. Thanks for articulating this so clearly.