So there was no thought on how to survive by maintaining group efficiency? No thought given to how to excel in their social roles. Life was just a free-for-all with no social repercussions? No, that's unlikely.

It's not about ambition, but fulfilling some useful roles for the good of the group. If there was no such explicit organization, the efficiency would have happened implicitly and instinctively, or else humans would never have survived in the Stone Age.

The inspiring of others to excel could apply to their respective tasks, so it wouldn't imply jealousy.