Reconciling the Western Ideal of Ambition and the Eastern Ideal of Contentment in Leadership

During my first trip to India 15 years ago, I made an observation as a traveller from Europe:

Beneath all the apparent chaos on the surface, there seemed to be an underlying calm and a general sense of contentment. In contrast, Europe appeared smooth and organised on the outside, yet there was often frustration and dissatisfaction simmering underneath.

When I shared this observation with a friend in India, he acknowledged there might be truth in it, but he also felt that this came at a price. In his view, India sometimes lacked ambition, and he admired the relentless drive he associated with Western countries.

Looking at India’s growth trajectory in recent years, both of our simplified observations no longer fully hold. India is ambitious. Europe is searching for calm. The lines have blurred.

And yet, the tension between ambition and contentment remains deeply relevant, especially in leadership.

What if fulfilment does not lie in choosing one over the other, but in reconciling both?

The Yogic Approach to Contentment

The yogic principle of santosha is usually translated as contentment, and it is the second of the five niyamas, the personal observances that guide our relationship with ourselves.

Santhosha is closely linked with aparigraha (non-attachment). While non-attachment teaches us that unhappiness arises from clinging to external outcomes, santosha gently shifts the focus inward. It reminds us that the purest joy is not something we acquire. It is something we uncover.

Contentment is not complacency. It is an inner steadiness independent of circumstance.

And this is where its interface with ambition becomes interesting.

Ambition Without Contentment

Ambition propels progress. It fuels innovation, growth and achievement. It builds businesses, careers and nations.

Ambition also pushes us to constantly chase the next big achievement, the next milestone, creating a never-ending cycle of "I'll be happy when..."

When we are children, we cannot wait to grow up.

As young adults, we cannot wait to get a job and leave home.

When we are single, we long for a relationship.

In a relationship, we long for "me-time".

We live from weekend to weekend, holiday to holiday.

We are constantly preparing for the next milestone, but rarely arriving in the present one.

In leadership, this mindset can become particularly corrosive. Targets are met, and immediately replaced. Success is achieved, and instantly normalised. There is little space to pause, integrate or celebrate.

The result? High performance paired with low fulfilment.

Adopting a yogic lifestyle does not mean an end to dreams and goals, rather a shift towards presence, acceptance and gratefulness for what we already have and where we are in life.

Contentment Without Ambition

On the other hand, contentment does not mean apathy and inertia.

If we interpret contentment as “everything is fine as it is, so why try?”, growth stalls. Teams stagnate. Organisations lose direction.

Contentment does not mean we stop setting bold goals. It just means our self-worth is not dependent on achieving them.

It is the difference between:

• “If this succeeds, I am valuable.”

• “I am valuable. And from that place, I choose to build something meaningful.”

Contentment is not a binary switch that flips into perpetual bliss. It requires ongoing awareness and practice. Even as we cultivate it, we continue refining it.

And this is where ambition and contentment stop being opposites.

How to Work Towards Contentment?

Cultivating santosha is less about grand gestures and more about consistent micro-practices.

• 🧘‍♀️ On the mat: Accept your physical and mental state as it is, without judgement, rather than focusing on not being strong or flexible enough, or comparing yourself to someone else in the room. This trains the muscle of self-acceptance.

• 📵 Digital boundaries: Social media is known to amplify dissatisfaction, presenting other people's lives and achievements through rose-tinted glasses, making us believe that their grass is always greener. Take a break and enjoy your own life and achievements.

• 🍂 In your daily life: Slow down and take time to appreciate the fruits of your labour rather than immediately rushing to the next task. Celebrate small wins.

• 📖 Gratitude Journaling: Writing down what you are grateful for each day gradually shifts attention to abundance.

How Will Our Leadership Benefit From this Practice?

• Healthier feedback cultures: Using the "This is already very good AND it can be even better by..." formula creates psychological safety. Improvement is invited without diminishing existing value.

• Reduced comparison anxiety: Practicing santosha brings our focus to our personal growth rather than comparing our journey to others, which reduces anxiety and enhances authentic leadership.

• Greater resilience: It allows us to maintain inner steadiness when situations are not ideal, practicing equanimity in crisis. We respond rather than react.

• Sustainable ambition: Goals remain bold, but they no longer come at the expense of wellbeing. Teams feel driven, not depleted.

Fifteen years ago, I believed I was observing a contrast between East and West.

Today, I see a universal human pattern.

We all want to grow. We all want to feel that we are enough.

The true art of leadership does not lie in choosing between ambition and contentment, but in holding them together. Striving wholeheartedly while standing firmly in the quiet conviction that, in this moment, we are already whole.

Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful week ahead.

The light in me honours the light in you.

Namaste