Ambitious vs. satisfied

“I’m satisfied with what I have. I don’t need more.”

It can be a huge source of frustration when ambitious leaders clash with this kind of a team member.

The leader wants more, but the team does not. They are satisfied.

Which, of course, means that the leader has failed to inspire the team to want more. There is no strong reason for them to want more. And so, they rightfully choose to invest their energy in other activities outside of their work life.

A natural reaction for some leaders would be to exchange the team and ask HR to find more ambitious people for their team. But that will only last for so long.

Unless … there’s a strong reason for team members to want more. If you want your team to be more ambitious, light them a path that’s meaningful and fulfilling for them.