Ambition in leadership is often equated with boldness, visibility, and relentless self-promotion. The loudest voice in the room, we’re told, is the one that commands authority. But Carolyn Dewar, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and co-author of CEO Excellence and the forthcoming A CEO for All Seasons (out October 7, 2025), offers a counterpoint: some of the most powerful leaders she has studied embody quiet ambition.
Their drive is no less fierce, but it is expressed through discipline, service, and humility, traits often overlooked, especially in high-stakes environments where women are told to “lean in” louder. As Dewar’s decades of research with Fortune 500 CEOs reveal, humility and service are not soft skills; they are strategic advantages.
Quiet Ambition: Lead with Results
“Quiet ambition is the drive to achieve outsized impact without needing the spotlight,” Dewar explains. “Some of the most ambitious leaders I know are also the quietest in the room. They let results, not volume, do the talking.”
This runs counter to traditional career advice for women, which often emphasizes visibility as the ticket to advancement. Yet quiet ambition can be just as powerful, if not more so, when paired with results that speak louder than self-promotion.
Consider Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors. She has reshaped the company with a disciplined focus on electric vehicles and long-term transformation, all while projecting steadiness rather than flash. Her ambition is audacious, making GM a leader in the EV future, yet her style is rooted in focus and persistence, not theatrics.
Servant Leadership: Strength in Service
If quiet ambition challenges the myth that leadership must be loud, servant leadership reframes the idea that leadership is about power at all. “When leaders orient around service to customers, employees, or society, they build trust that compounds over time,” Dewar says.
She points to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who sees his role as serving the company’s 2.3 million associates so they can better serve customers. His decision to raise wages and expand frontline opportunities is not just generosity; it is strategy. Trust, once built, becomes a competitive advantage.
For women leaders, this is particularly powerful. Servant leadership pushes back against the stereotype that authority means domination. Instead, it demonstrates strength through stewardship. As Dewar notes, “The CEO role is not about you. It is a caretaking role, and the true measure of success is leaving the company stronger than you found it.”
Indra Nooyi embodied this during her tenure as PepsiCo’s CEO. She pursued Performance with Purpose, linking financial growth with sustainability and healthier products while consistently elevating her team. Her servant leadership didn’t make her less ambitious. It made her impact last.
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