01 - Business Aspiration, Ambition and Intent to Succeed

Aspiration is defined as a strong desire, longing, or aim. Whereas ambition is defined as the object, state, or result desired. The difference is subtle. Yet its proper understanding can make a huge impact on the probability of success.

Thanks to the family culture in India, we want our children to become ‘big shots’, as they grow up. Little do these children understand the actual meaning of a big shot. Later while passing out from school, they aspire to do well in their lives and be successful. Some of them want to become government officials, some others want to work in the private sector. Some aspire to become scientists and others choose to go in for teaching. Some of them want to have their own business whereas others want to pursue arts. The point is that they all have diverse aspirations yet schooling, which is common and generalized with hardly any alignment with their aspirations. Is it appropriate?

As they graduate, they have better clarity. Their efforts become more focused. Their quest for knowledge and urge to learn appropriate professional skills get better defined. In reality, their aspirations are getting transformed into better-defined ambitions. They are growing from boys to men!

Those, who want to do business, perhaps choose to do their Master’s degree in Business Administration. They try to do their M.B.A. at a popular university. 10 years in business, when they review their efforts and success, do they attribute part of their success to the knowledge and skills they learned during their M.B.A.? Of course, yes! But the ones, who critically inspect and analyse give a much bigger credit to the BASICS. At every critical juncture during their journey in business what possibly bailed them out at tough times or helped them establish a milestone just when it appeared elusive was ‘by going back to the basics’. And the mother of all basics is, “Clarity of thought and clarity of action.”

The journey from having aspirations to ambitions is the FIRST major and BASIC step. It is also an important step in achieving ‘clarity of thought and action.’ But that is not easy. On the way to success, one has to overcome the sense of disbelief, the challenge of overreach, realization about constraints and even ridicule from their circle of friends and family. Without crossing these stumbling blocks, could they have been as successful?”

Yet this journey to success does not begin with ambition. It begins with INTENT – an intent to achieve ambitions. An intent represents COMMITMENT. Without commitment, ambitions alone cannot yield any results. Therefore, once the aspirations get transformed into ambitions and grow into a commitment, the actions lead to a future that could become a matter of historical importance for many.

Business Lessons

1. The intent stands on the tripod of aspiration, ambition and commitment.

2. Without intent, your destiny (read actions!) is someone else’s pleasure.

3. The absence of aspirations is like a vacuum. It invites and welcomes ideas. You just have to open a door or window.

4. Transforming intent into impact for 10-X performance is a function of your efforts and resources. Both variables are given and are in your hand. You possibly just need a ‘business buddy’ or ‘business sherpa.’

Personal Notes:

Let us make a beginning now and here. Fill up the following table with all sincerity and best of your assessment or judgement: