Ambition and Coachability

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” – Albert Schweitzer

Ambition is a pure force. It is the dissatisfaction that you have with your status quo and your current accomplishments. It’s a relentless inner drive to go further, to do more, to learn, to grow, to find yourself. Ambitious people don’t sit back and admire their masterpieces or wallow in sorrow over their botched canvases. They are already painting their next one.

Can ambition be coached? Is ambition something innate that someone has, or can it be nurtured into something beautiful?

As both a professor and a CEO, I love coaching people. I love watching people transform into something they didn’t set out to be. I love showing someone what they can become, even when they can’t see it for themselves. And, above all, I find the deepest joy in coaching ambitious people.

There are four kinds of people I’ve run into, those who can’t be coached, those won't be coached, those who want to be coached, and those who unwittingly coach me by their very presence.

The Bare-Minimums. People who are not ambitious. Work is just a way for them to pay the bills so that they can enjoy the rest of their life. Their heart is elsewhere, just not in work. They simply want to do what it takes to keep a job. There’s nothing wrong with their attitude—work is simply not a place where their ambition shows up. Work is not where their greatness shows up. Their greatness might lie elsewhere. Work is a place where they plod along, not soar. They are complacent about their work, and about where work can lead them in their lives. They do the bare minimum to keep their job. Work is a thing they have to do, to pay for the things they want to do. You can’t coach them at work. You can’t inspire them to greater heights in their career.

The One-Hit Wonders. People who are ambitious, but only when their muse shows up. You can coach them in parts. You can coach them only when their muse strikes them, and when they feel they want to be coached. They want coaching, but only when they are in the mood for it. Work is something they think about only when an idea hits them and moves them to purposeful action. Inspiration is erratic, and so is their action. When inspiration strikes, they will seek coaching in that moment and turn it into something special. But, their lack of consistency means that their potential will never be fully realized. One moment, their muse has struck, and they’re on, ambition on full display, and a force to be reckoned with. The next moment, their muse is on vacation, and they’re off, ambition undetectable, as they contentedly drift into complacent mediocrity. They don't work at their craft, or at improving their craft. They continue living off the nostalgia of their past glory, feeding off the one hit (or, perhaps, two) that they had in the past. They know that they could be great if they tried, but the effort of trying is too taxing for them. It’s often sad watching them throw away obvious talent for lack of consistent effort.

The Raw Diamonds. People who are ambitious, want to burn for it, but don’t know how to channel their ambition. They can sense their ambition in their bones, but they don’t know how to channel it into something fulfilling. They see themselves as raw diamonds just waiting to be discovered and polished. You can coach them. You want to coach them. They want to be coached. They are not just coachable, but receptive to it, and hungry for it. They are intellectually curious. They seek coaching, without knowing what it means, like moths drawn to the fire of others’ ambition and accomplishment. They are eager to learn, to take direction. They want someone else to see/light their fire, to show them the way, and they are willing to burn for their ambition. Their willingness (and, indeed, eagerness) to do what it takes, to obsess over their work, and to turn every difficulty into a learning opportunity, makes them inspiring to work with. Their hunger and their work ethic makes them magnificent. The Raw Diamonds are why I am still a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Being around students at the age of 19–21, at the age when they haven’t yet met the word “impossible,” feeds my soul. My role simply becomes one of finding opportunities to meet their hunger. Their enthusiasm sets my brain on fire. They bring joy and excitement to my work.

The Spark Plugs. People who are ambitious, who know what to do, who know why they burn for it, and who are enthusiastically eager to do it. You don’t need to coach them to be ambitious. You simply need to point out the opportunities to them, and they are off. They are a force of nature. They are magic. They are rare. They are both joyful and formidable at once. It’s like watching a volcano in all its majesty. You are drawn to it, you see the beauty of the force, you can feel the undercurrents of the lava bubbling under the surface, and you feel you are in the presence of something awe-inspiring. At the same time, you don’t know if you can handle it. Their ambition spills out of them in torrents, and you can feel their words and actions laden with this fire that can ignite you, if you choose to enter their path. Their joy of learning and discovery is a personal calling, and they are consumed by that joy. There are no zero days for them when it comes to learning. Just like a volcano, these people are always simmering in the magma of their ambition. You are not sure if you can handle their force at times, but you remain in awe of the magnitude, intensity, and unstoppability of their inner fire, and you can’t look away. If you find one of these people, work with them. Don’t hesitate. Jump right in. They will transform your work and transform you. My role is simply to chase working with them. They elevate my work in ways that I didn’t see coming. Their inner force lights my soul and transforms me.

I don’t coach the Bare Minimums.

I try to coach the One-Hit Wonders until I find it futile.

I run after coaching the Raw Diamonds, and I find it exhilarating.

As for the Spark Plugs, well, they coach me without their realizing it.

The Spark Plugs are the spirit-rekindlers in Albert Schweitzer's famous quote.

Work is often not about the journey or the destination—it’s about the company you keep on the road.

And, the Spark Plugs are the best kind of company.