Top Performers Are Pathologically Ambitious
paulpauper
26 points
3 comments
April 11, 2026
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Discussion Highlights (2 comments)
SilverElfin
One problem especially in big companies is that top performers are not just pathological with ambition but also what they’re willing to do for it. Taking credit. Diminishing others. Winning political battles to get the big project or to get more resources. It forces others who may be just as skilled to also resort to the same tactics. And that is what makes many work environments toxic. The article says it wants more altruistic people to be ambitious and also that extreme ambition is bad. But the problem is that altruistic people ARE already ambitious, but are competing with people who have extreme, pathological ambitions.
maest
I think one blind spot for this type of article is the risk of taking hagiographies at their word.