… Ambition Is a Capability: LIVE 10x Talk with Joe Polish, Dan Sullivan, and Babs Smith – 10xTalk With Joe Polish And Dan Sullivan

10x MULTIPLIERS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

A provocative and persuasive series of interviews and discussions on the topic
of developing and expanding “Abundance Multipliers” in the 21st century global economy.

10x MULTIPLIERS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

A provocative and persuasive series of interviews and discussions on the topic
of developing and expanding “Abundance Multipliers” in the 21st century global economy.

EPISODE 244

Ambition Is a Capability: LIVE 10x Talk with Joe Polish, Dan Sullivan, and Babs Smith

December 26, 2025

EPISODE 244

Ambition Is a Capability: LIVE 10x Talk with Joe Polish, Dan Sullivan, and Babs Smith

Episode Summary

Joe Polish and Dan Sullivan host a LIVE, unscripted 10x Talk episode on why ambition isn’t a limited resource—it’s a capability you can develop for life. You’ll learn how alignment, free days, courage, and human connection (especially in an AI-driven world) keep Entrepreneurs energized, productive, and excited about what’s next.

Here’s a glance at what you’ll discover in this episode:

Why ambition isn’t something you “use up,” and how treating it as a capability creates an endless flywheel of growth.
The prime directives Dan and Babs use to protect alignment, independence, and momentum—so nothing (and no one) gets between them.
The Lifetime Extender exercise that instantly expands your timeline, reignites motivation, and changes how you make decisions.
The real reason Entrepreneurs lose ambition: trying to eliminate courage—and the hidden cost of losing excitement.
How to use AI without losing the human edge: systematize the predictable, humanize the exceptional, and reclaim your time and attention.

If you’d like to join world-renowned Entrepreneurs at the next Genius Network Event or want to learn more about Genius Network, go to www.GeniusNetwork.com.

Show Notes

Dan Sullivan’s Origin Story: The “How Far Can I Go?” Moment

Dan shares the moment at age 11 on his family farm when a plane flew overhead and he had a life-defining thought: “I wonder how far I can go?”
That question becomes the through-line of his life: every level reached creates a new level of curiosity—not a finish line.
Dan emphasizes that deadlines keep people young; retirement often removes structure and replaces it with “one big deadline.”

Ambition and the Entrepreneur’s Identity

Joe points out that many Entrepreneurs are “more ambitious than the people around them,” which is why they seek rooms like Strategic Coach and Genius Network.
The danger isn’t ambition—it’s what happens when someone loses a place to put that energy (selling a business, “retiring,” or drifting without purpose).
Joe shares the idea that many high achievers live with high dissatisfaction—and the real win is learning how to direct ambition into meaningful productivity without burning out.

Prime Directives: How Dan and Babs Protect Alignment

Babs shares their core principle: everything must strengthen and enhance their teamwork and intimacy.
They don’t let opportunities, people, or issues get “in between” them—relationship first, then everything else.
They retain the forward forces of progress (staying independent, not outsourcing core leadership, not going public).
They only align with people who are aligned with them—no negotiating with “difficult.”

Easy, Lucrative, Fun vs. Hard, Annoying, Lame, Frustrating

Joe explains ELF as a filter for decisions, projects, and relationships—not just marketing tactics.
The biggest hidden drain on ambition is misalignment: frustrating people, draining projects, and environments that force constant defense.
A key shift: time management isn’t the real issue—energy management is. Your brain naturally moves toward alignment and meaning.

Ambition as a Capability (Not a Gas Tank)

Dan shares the question that reshaped his thinking: “When you’re 90, what will you be ambitious about?”
His answer surprises even him: “My ambition is that I’m more ambitious.”
Dan explains the old model: ambition is like a gas tank—unequally distributed and eventually empty.
His new model: ambition is a capability you can develop, and it’s the capability that creates all other capabilities.
The loop: ambition drives you toward new capabilities → new capabilities expand your ambition → repeat. It’s a flywheel, not a fuel tank.

The Lifetime Extender: A Tool That Reignites Ambition

Dan describes the exercise that changes how Entrepreneurs think about time, aging, and possibility.
People choose an age they’ll die, then describe how they’ll be the year before—healthy, sharp, connected, satisfied.
Dan challenges the logic: “If you’re that strong at 84, why would you die at 85?”
The result: people add 25 years—and their ambition rises because they stop “winding down” too early.
Dan shares his own number: 156—not as a prediction, but as a framework that gives him time for big projects.

Getting Ambition Back: Courage, Excitement, and Risk

Dan explains a key reason Entrepreneurs lose ambition: they try to eliminate the need for courage.
The tradeoff is brutal: if you remove courage, you remove excitement.
The goal isn’t reckless risk—it’s meaningful risk that keeps you engaged, curious, and alive.
Dan shares how he stays energized: creating new workshops and writing new work regularly, always with real uncertainty and challenge.

AI and the Future: Keep Tech Backstage, Keep Humans Frontstage

Joe shares concern and optimism: AI is transformational, but it brings new risks (including addiction and mental health impact).
Dan shares how AI increases his writing speed dramatically by helping structure ideas faster.
Dan’s guiding principle: Systematize the predictable so you can humanize the exceptional.
Example of “bad tech”: replacing a human experience (like a printed newspaper at a resort) with QR codes that reduce connection.
Example of “good human”: Babs reframes a customer service rep as a “hero,” turning a rigid process into human ownership and faster results.
Bottom line: keep technology backstage; protect human connection on the front stage.

Advice for 2026: Free Days, Big Goals, Better Inputs

Babs: set big goals, identify obstacles, and treat obstacles as raw material for growth.
Babs: book free days first—free days are like savings; if you leave them for last, you won’t take them.
Joe: treat yourself like a million-dollar racehorse—right trainer, right health habits, right “races,” right people.
Dan: reclaim time. He stopped watching television in July 2018 and has never returned—gaining massive hours for thinking and rejuvenation.

Resources

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10xTalk delivers 10x Multipliers To Grow Your Business hosted by Joe Polish, founder of GeniusNetwork.com and Dan Sullivan, founder of StrategicCoach.com. 10x Multipliers To Grow Your Business. Insights For An Ever Expanding System Of Increasing Cooperation & Creativity Among Unique Ability Achievers.