Ambition

For the next 5 minutes, let’s elevate your career.

In today’s email:

• Ambition

• Chris Voss wants you to say No

• Go direct to customers

• Choose to not be offended

• Sara Blakely as career coach

ON YOUR CAREER

Ambition

When we developed the Coacha Personality5 assessment, we captured the attribute of Ambition. High performers are typically ambitious. Ambition blends the desire for success, willingness to exert effort, and tenacity to overcome obstacles.

What else can you do in 2025 to unlock your ambition?

COMMUNICATION

Chris Voss wants you to say No

Chris Voss is a former FBI hostage negotiator and expert in business negotiation tactics. He advocates using no-oriented questions like:

1. Is now a bad time to talk?

2. Is it a ridiculous idea…?

3. Are you against…?

4. Have you given up on this project?

People feel less pressure when they’re given the opportunity to say ‘no’. This builds trust and rapport. No-oriented questions often encourage people to provide more information about their needs and concerns. This leads to genuine conversations with colleagues and customers.

PRODUCTIVITY

Go direct to customers

I coached a healthcare executive. Her job was to deliver programs to a variety of community groups. There was a separate, internal team who promoted these programs. In theory. In practice, the promoters were either lazy or contact reluctant and little was done.

My coachee grew frustrated because she couldn’t do her job. The other team were grit in the system. After a couple of months of requests, inaction, and excuses, she went directly to the community groups. They appreciated the approach and several signed-up.

Ambitious people make things happen. They risk upsetting internal bureaucracies. My coachee upset her colleagues but she was prepared for the uncomfortable conversations. She was diplomatic and the results were loud.

1 MINUTE TO MORE HAPPINESS

Choose not to be offended

Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Emperor and philosopher, wrote: ‘Choose not to be harmed—and you won’t feel harmed. Don’t feel harmed—and you haven’t been.’

I agree with the Emperor’s thoughts. I’ve chosen to be offended at times when there’s been nothing at stake except my ego. Wasted time. Wasted peace of mind.

Now, I try to disrupt my negative thoughts and emotions by asking, ‘Do I need to make this a thing?’ The answer is rarely ‘yes’. I’m happier without the drama.

CAREER COACH

Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely (1971 — ) graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in communications. It proved serendipitous that she din’t score high enough on her LSATs to get into law school. Instead, with $5,000 in savings she founded Spanx, a revolutionary company in the intimate apparel industry. Spanx achieved $4 million of sales in the first year. In 2012, Forbes named Blakely the youngest self-made billionaire. Spanx’ product range now includes jeans, leggings, and swimwear. Blakely established the Sara Blakely Foundation to empower women by education and entrepreneurship. Some of her career wisdom: