Who decided what ambition looks like?
Why the so-called 鈥渁mbition gap鈥 is really a leadership and systems failure
Article听at a glance听听
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Women do not lack ambition.听Dr Poornima Luthra explains that听workplaces are still structured in ways that make career听progression听hard听to sustain.听听
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As a result, women are听redefining听ambition on their own terms, with many turning to entrepreneurship rather than听climbing the corporate ladder.听
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The sheer volume of women听leaving their jobs should serve as a wake-up call.听
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Businesses must听rethink how听鈥渁mbition鈥澨齛nd听鈥渟uccess鈥澨齛re defined by听evaluating their听workplace systems and cultures听to听make sure听talent is not听being听lost听due to poorly designed systems.听
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"Ambition鈥澨齛nd听鈥渟uccess鈥澨齨eed redefining听听
Women do not lack ambition, as the听听concludes.听But听there is a cost to success which has prompted many women to leave the workforce.听Ambition is about growth and challenge;听it's听a personal driver which reflects our individuality.听
A recent听听found that almost听half a million women had left their jobs in the US between January and October in 2025听for听reasons ranging from poor work-life balance, the听cost听and challenges of accessing childcare and toxic workplace cultures.听听
These pressures reflect a deeper structural issue: many workplaces were not designed with diverse career paths or life circumstances in mind.听
As a result,听many听women are听turning to entrepreneurship.听Women are now starting听nearly half听of the businesses in the US, according to听a recent article in Forbes magazine.听A听2024听听cites the number of women-owned businesses increasing at听nearly鈥痙ouble听the rate鈥痮f male-owned businesses between 2019 and 2023.听Choosing entrepreneurship听doesn鈥檛听signal lower ambition. It often signals the opposite 鈥 ambition on one鈥檚 own terms.听
When听organisations听fail to听support diverse forms of ambition, they risk losing talented employees.听
Why听is听this a听business problem听
The sheer volume of women leaving their jobs should serve as a wake-up call听to business leaders.听Many听organisations听are still largely run by men, and gender biases, both subtle and explicit, continue to shape workplace culture.听When听organisations听fail to听support diverse forms of ambition, they risk losing talented employees.听听
How business leaders can redefine听ambition and success听
We need to听make听both cultural and organisational changes, with a long, hard look at what ambition and success should look like.听Business leaders听must听redefine these constructs for the workforce and next generation:听
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On the systems side, leaders must revisit hiring, promotion criteria, pay structures and performance evaluation. If we define ambition solely as vertical progression, we will continue to reproduce inequality听and risk losing talented employees.听
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On the cultural side, leaders must model sustainable success. That means realistic expectations, visible boundary-setting, and rejecting the idea that heroic sacrifice equals commitment.听
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All leaders and team members should have the agency to challenge bias in their own teams.听
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Conversations about equity of opportunity must start early, in classrooms and around dining tables, as we speak to young people about success.听
Before we question women鈥檚 ambition, we need to question the systems听we鈥檝e听built.听If the goal听isn鈥檛听desirable, the cost is too high and the support听isn鈥檛听there,听disengagement cannot be named as a lack of ambition.听It鈥檚听simply a rational response to inappropriately designed systems.听听
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