Ambition: Women Powering Up

Webster’s Dictionary defines ambition as “an ardent desire for rank, fame and power.” That is not what senior executives and managing partners should be looking for in identifying future successors. Those who embrace

this definition and use it as the lens through which to evaluate potential leaders are limiting, to an employer’s disadvantage, its talent pool and leadership pipeline. However, if ambition is defined as “an ardent desire to lead and influence the actions of others,” the pipeline opens, especially for women.