The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Living for Approval and Start Living for You
Feb 24, 2025
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Ahyiana Angel, LinkedIn's Podcast Ad Ops Producer and host of the Switch, Pivot, or Quit podcast, teams up with Hayley Saltzman, LinkedIn's Editor at Large, to challenge traditional notions of ambition. They dive into the tension between chasing personal fulfillment versus societal approval. The duo discusses the gendered perceptions of ambition, sharing personal stories of redefining success and overcoming fear. Listeners gain practical tips on how to reconnect with their ambitions and embrace a more authentic life.
The podcast discusses how ambition can be a double-edged sword, with societal expectations often pressuring individuals, particularly women, into traditional molds of success.
Listeners are encouraged to prioritize intrinsic motivation over external validation by embracing fear as a pathway to personal growth and authenticity.
Deep dives
Redefining Ambition
Ambition is a word that elicits strong feelings, as not everyone relates to it positively. Some see it as a driving force that fosters growth, while others feel it pressures them into a box defined by external expectations. In a discussion, one colleague expressed discomfort with the label of ambition, feeling it did not encapsulate her identity or the complexity of her capabilities. She emphasized a preference for being described as kind or driven rather than ambitious, suggesting that the term can carry negative connotations, especially for women who might feel pressured to conform to a competitive mold.
The Journey Toward Self-Ownership
Both speakers reflected on pivotal career decisions that led them to seek fulfillment beyond traditional definitions of success. One individual articulated a transformative moment when she quit her coveted job in sports entertainment, taking a leap of faith toward a path that felt more authentic to her desires. Through this experience, she found empowerment in stepping away from what others deemed successful, illustrating the importance of internal validation over external perceptions. This act of ownership helped her recognize her ambitions not as societal pressures but as personal motivations toward self-growth.
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Growth
The relationship between fear and ambition is complex, with fear often acting as an undercurrent in the pursuit of one's goals. One individual discussed how her apprehension about ambitious aspirations led to an aversion to the word itself, associating it with the worry of unmet expectations. Nevertheless, both speakers acknowledged that embracing fear can lead to significant growth, as stepping out of comfort zones is often necessary for personal development. They suggested that articulating goals, even with the risk of failure, is a crucial part of owning one's ambitions and moving toward a successful future.
Ambition. Is it a dirty word? Do you love the term, or hate it? In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel sits down with two incredible colleagues at LinkedIn, Ahyiana Angel and Hayley Saltzman, to explore how our understanding of ambition evolves, and what it means to chase personal growth rather than external validation.
Ahyiana Angel is the Podcast Ad Ops Producer at LinkedIn and the host of her own podcast called Switch, Pivot, or Quit. Hayley Saltzman is an Editor at Large at LinkedIn, recently focusing on vertical video strategy. Together, they reflect on how ambition is often shaped by external expectations and how true fulfillment comes when we start living for ourselves.
In this episode, Jessi, Ahyiana, and Hayley discuss:
The tension between extrinsic and intrinsic ambition
Our gendered notions of ambition, and how society’s definition of ambition is often limiting for women
What happens when you quit a dream job to pursue something more aligned with personal growth
The relationship between fear and ambition
Practical tips for reconnecting with your own ambitions and self-worth
If you've ever questioned what success and ambition truly mean for you, this episode is for you. Whether you're navigating career transitions or redefining what ambition looks like in your life, we hope this conversation will inspire you to live and work authentically.
Continue the conversation with us at Hello Monday Office Hours! Join us here, on the LinkedIn News page, this Wednesday at 3 PM EST.
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