Ambition or Greed?

I was talking with a friend of mine and he was talking about his goals but then added he shouldn't want a goal that big. In the discussion I found out that he felt guilty that he wanted to create something so big and get paid for it. That's is when I realized that he was confusing ambition with greed.

Ambition is defined as a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. What is wrong with doing some hard work and getting fairly compensated for it? That's how work works. When we are providing value to others that see and appreciate that value, others compensate us for that. They do it gladly because in their minds our product or service is making their lives better. 

Greed on the other hand is wanting to get more than our fair share, more than the value we have provided. It is an intense and selfish desire for something that we didn't earn. Contrary to what Gordon Gecko may say, greed is not good. Greed is saying that we want $1 million because it would be cool to have $1 million and not willing to do anything to deserve it.

Also, while we are on the subject, it's ok to want more. That by itself is not greed. It's only when we are not willing to do anything for it that it becomes greed. If you are ready, willing and able to do the work, provide the service, create the product, and solve the problems, then go for it. 

So to use Elon Musk as an example of ambition. Whatever your personal feelings about Elon Musk or his companies may be, he has a lofty ambition to reduce the world's dependence on fossil fuels. That is a big ambition that manufacturing electric cars and solar power may help to accomplish.

In order to manufacture electric cars and solar power those companies need lots and lots of capital. He has risked his personal fortune many times during some difficult times with these companies. His ambition requires the capital the companies generate. He didn't need to get involved with those companies. He was already a multi-millionaire from the sale of PayPal to eBay. But his ambition and the companies he chose to be involved with aligned with his ambition very well.

I have met several billionaires in my lifetime and they all had large ambitions to build something, create something, or solve a huge problem that faces many people. The more people that had the problem that was solved by the companies products, the more money their companies made. Money wasn't the main reason they started their enterprises. It was first to create value and solve a problem. One billionaire just wanted to build something that he thought would be cool, and hoped others would like it as well. The wealth they have accumulated was the by-product of that ambition. Of course, we all know the famous quote was Zig Ziglar, "You can have everything you want in the world, as long as you help enough people get what they want." That is precisely what they did.

So hopefully by now you are convinced that ambition is good. I know my friend understands the difference now and feels a whole lot better about what he is working on to build. What is your ambition? How can it be bigger? How could it serve more people? How could it solve a bigger problem? How could it bring more joy? So have a big ambition. It is people with big ambitions who follow through on them that make the world better.