Ambition Quote by Ben Horowitz
“Most large mistakes in organizational design come from putting the individual ambitions of the people at the top of the organization ahead of the communication paths for the people at the bottom of the organization.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, 2014
Organizational design fails when personal ambitions outrank clear communication channels for lower levels.
In simple terms: Prioritizing ambition over communication harms structure.
Align ambitions with communication flow.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- company restructuring
- team meetings
- performance reviews
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can leaders balance personal goals with clear communication?
- What structures ensure bottom‑up information flow?
If ambitions are too strong, communication may be ignored.