Kevin Bemel ·
Why Your Ambition Isn’t Egotistical
July 1 I became a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. Despite this being my first real promotion (becoming a lieutenant is automatic unless you really mess up) I asked for an understated ceremony. It seems improper for a chaplain to make a big deal about rank. After all, my authority should come from my behavior and what I stand for.
Do not get me wrong. I am not opposed to ambition. My wife will tell you I am driven to succeed. And I admire ambitious people, provided their pursuit of power and accomplishment benefits humanity. Remember Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol? Ebenezer Scrooge’s miserly accumulation of wealth served no purpose other than self-aggrandizement. Thankfully in America affluence often leads to philanthropy.
Through my work I find that too often the people most fit to fill high positions are the ones reluctant to strive for them. Genuine modesty impedes them from considering entering the fray. If you find yourself in this group, I hope you will take these ideas to heart:
- Great people seek power so as to serve others. Although both had towering ambition, leaders as different as George Washington and Winston Churchill devoted their lives to improving the lot of their countrymen and allies. By contrast, Benedict Arnold and Josef Stalin, while at one time positioned for greatness, squandered their opportunity through egotism and in Stalin’s case inhumanity.
- Great people’s lives rest on a foundation of values. By the time he was 16, Washington had devoted himself to his 110 Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Churchill spent years in the political wilderness because his antipathy to fascism and determination to rearm to fight it militarily if necessary was at odds with contemporary public sentiment. Neither treason nor mass murder was too abhorrent to Arnold and Stalin, respectively, in their pursuit of power.
- Great people relentlessly improve their fitness to lead. Washington’s mastery of his Rules of Civility, along with his self-education as a surveyor, soldier, and leader, qualified him for the lofty positions he sought. Churchill spent time in combat, built wealth, learned to glean knowledge from other people, and developed his oratorical skills all to prepare him to lead. While Arnold developed some command ability as a soldier, he was not a student of men or leadership. Stalin had great political skill but in the end he substituted brutality for personal development.
- Great people at heart are humble. Washington shunned a perpetual presidency for the good of a young America. Churchill, during the days of his “back fog,” questioned his ability. Both Arnold and Stalin thought the world owed them recognition and power.
I hope you will seek ever-greater challenges: professionally, personally, and spiritually. The world can never have too many people dedicated to serving their fellow human beings. If you question your fitness for a more prominent position, greater wealth, or increased influence you are on the right track. The answer lies in honing your ability, clarifying your values, and committing to use these gifts to serve others.
How do you feel about ambition as a character trait?
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