Robert Lewandowski has spoken openly about his future at Barcelona, offering clarity on his mindset at a stage of his career where every decision naturally carries extra weight. Rather than avoiding the subject, the Barcelona forward addressed it with calm confidence, making it clear that uncertainty does not mean concern.
You just crushed that presentation to the board, or finally got that program funded, or solved the technical problem that had everyone stumped. But then your sister texts the family group chat about weekend plans, and suddenly you're back to being the "intense one" who cares too much about work. Your chest gets tight, your shoulders tense up, and you're 16 again, trying to explain why you want things they don't understand.
That's the foundation for a Bayern coach, there's no need to beat around the bush. We want to win every competition we compete in. And the reality is that the Champions League is very difficult to win. We're not thinking that far ahead. Of course, the title is a dream. But we're taking it seriously, step by step, and will do everything we can to achieve our goals.
The other morning, I was on a Zoom call with a CEO, trying to sound composed, when my four-year-old burst into the room demanding to know where her princess dress was. I glanced down at my to-do list - which never seems to get shorter - and noticed I still needed to book a trip to San Francisco. In that moment, surrounded by chaos, I thought: I write a column called The Long Game.
Imposter syndrome doesn't signal weakness-it signals you're exactly where you should be. That's the counterintuitive message from Scott Galloway, a NYU marketing professor and serial entrepreneur who has built and sold multiple companies for millions of dollars. In a recent episode of his podcast, The Prof G Pod, Galloway reframed one of professional life's most common anxieties as evidence of ambition, not inadequacy.
The most important moment of "Last Dance at the Country Club" is not its final, Casablanca-inflected image but a brief, devastatingly telling exchange between Kate and Stuart. After learning that she has no idea what their budget would be like, or who they'd be reporting to, he turns down her offer to leave Embassy London to join her on her next adventure, as Special Envoy to Europe, saying, "I can be an ambassador, though. It's what I've been working toward for 20 years." Kate's quiet, wistful "Yeah, me, too" makes me want to cry.
I am apparently too ambitious and goal-driven. Every time I got a promotion, started working on a project or a goal, or achieved something I'm happy about, ex-partners have gotten insecure and then started to humble and belittle me. I used to model, and everything was cool when they thought I'd just be pretty. But when they realize my mind is the most attractive thing about me, they're over it.
An anxious achiever is someone who channels anxiety into ambition, work ethic, productivity, and leadership. Along the way, they've learned that performance equals value. Many people tell me, "When I achieved, I was loved. I learned that's what I should do-and the fear of losing keeps me moving forward." Others say, "I grew up poor, with a single mom who struggled and a dad who didn't pay the bills. I'll never be that vulnerable again." For them, the anxiety of scarcity drives their determination.
99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life By Adam Chandler An enlightening and entertaining interrogation of the myth of American self-reliance and the idea of hard work as destiny. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Adam Chandler, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon. The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living By Amina AlTai Drawing on her work with Fortune 500 leaders, Olympic gold medalists, start-up founders, and former "girlbosses," AlTai guides you through the process of reconciling your ambition, starting with healing the core wounds and insecurities currently driving you. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Amina AlTai, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
