PodParley PodParley

How much ambition is too much? With Lucy Kellaway

We’re taught to dream big – but we can’t all reach the top

Episode 77 of the Working It podcast, hosted by Financial Times, titled "How much ambition is too much? With Lucy Kellaway" was published on August 13, 2024 and runs 18 minutes.

August 13, 2024 ·18m · Working It

0:00 / 0:00

In most workplaces, expressing ambition is non-negotiable. We’re all meant to strive, to want more, and to summit ever more impressive professional peaks; but only a handful ever reach the top. Besides, does ambition really make us happy? In this episode, Isabel Berwick speaks to Stefan Stern, author of ‘Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition.’. They discuss why even the highest achievers can never accomplish enough.’ Later, Isabel speaks to teacher and former FT journalist Lucy Kellaway, who explains why tempering your ambition can be the difference between satisfaction and sadness.Want more? Free links:Necessary but corrosive: Lucy Kellaway on ambitionIs the age of ambition over?Why ‘post-ambition’ is the secret to career enlightenmentTo take part in the FT audience survey and be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose wireless headphones, please click here. For the survey’s terms and conditions, please click herePresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In most workplaces, expressing ambition is non-negotiable. We’re all meant to strive, to want more, and to summit ever more impressive professional peaks; but only a handful ever reach the top. Besides, does ambition really make us happy? In this episode, Isabel Berwick speaks to Stefan Stern, author of ‘Fair or Foul: The Lady Macbeth Guide to Ambition.’. They discuss why even the highest achievers can never accomplish enough.’ Later, Isabel speaks to teacher and former FT journalist Lucy Kellaway, who explains why tempering your ambition can be the difference between satisfaction and sadness.


Want more? Free links:

Necessary but corrosive: Lucy Kellaway on ambition

Is the age of ambition over?

Why ‘post-ambition’ is the secret to career enlightenment


To take part in the FT audience survey and be in with a chance to win a pair of Bose wireless headphones, please click here. For the survey’s terms and conditions, please click here

Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working (it) Out Artslant Global Arts Network for Artists and Lovers We're White But We're Working On It Amethyste Frezignac A dialogue between a mother and a daughter, two ordinary white women who are taking the lead from Change-Makers of Color, digging deep into where White Supremacy lives within them and around them... and learning to know better so that they can do better. When Shit Hits the Fan Johan van Amersfoort and Jeffrey Kusters Are you working in IT and ever had the pleasure of breaking something? We mean, breaking something significantly and knowing shit has really hit the fan? That's what this podcast is all about. In a bi-weekly cadence, our guests share their story with the goal to learn a lesson from it. And you can too, by subscribing to the show so you can be the first to hear them! More Women Promoted Katy McFee Are you an ambitious woman who's been stuck at the sr. manager or director level, watching peers advance despite your consistently stellar performance? Do you find yourself drowning in back-to-back meetings, unable to carve out time for lunch, much less time for professional development? You are not alone. Breaking through to the executive level isn't about working harder—it's about transforming how others perceive your leadership.Join Katy McFee, a former tech executive and Forty under 40 winner turned leadership coach. Through her leadership programs, Forbes.com writing and keynote speaking, she's empowered hundreds of women to secure promotions and thrive in their roles. When she's not helping over 100,000 women on social media crush their career goals, she's raising 3 kids and running ultramarathons—proving that resilience isn't just a buzzword, it's a lifestyle.Each week on More Women Promoted, dive into practical strategies
URL copied to clipboard!