Take Action

Reap the rewards for those who study, research and plan, and therefore know what they must do, and then proceed to do it without any outside direction or supervision. Develop self-confidence and courage, and you will acquire initiative. This quality can win success and power in positions of high importance.

Initiative Meaning

The world awards its most significant medals, both in money and honors, to those who wisely show initiative. You may ask, what is an initiative? It is “doing the ideal thing without being told.” Next to doing the ideal thing without being told is consistently doing it when you have been told once.

The initiative is taking that extra mile. Whether meeting a deadline before everyone else or putting forth the effort to finish what you started earlier, it is an act of creativity and commitment. And if you don’t know how to get the “extra mile,” all it takes is initiative.

Those who can do the ideal thing at the perfect time without being told receive great satisfaction and top honors. In other words, the highest profit goes towards hard work and initiative—other people who never do anything until they are notified to do the work will receive no awards and small pay.

Analyze yourself and your failings, and if you discover a day that you lack initiative and effort, you will want to determine your destination, scrutinize your standards, question your principles, and learn your assets, strengths, and capability. Constantly walk forward toward the desired goal.

Mentally, the sky is the limitation, “hitch your wagon to a star,” and through your initiative and efforts spurred on by self-esteem, you will achieve things you never realized before. It’s all in the follow-through.

Taking the initiative  fosters success in all areas of your life. When you take the initiative, you accept the first step to achieving your goals. It’s exciting to know that you can change something about yourself, your behavior, and things for the better.

“This what we finish—not what we begin, by which we rise;

To try is good, but not enough whereby to gain the prize.

We win by what we do –not by the thing we meant to do;

“This where we stand—not where we might be, that makes our view.

For power is given everyone to be, The man he would;

A mere intent will count for naught, though it. Be fine and good;

But the effort must be followed up by work

Accomplished—done;

For only by completed tasks is life’s great victory won.

Anonymous

The Many Faces Of Initiative

So what is an initiative, anyway? It is one of the intangible skills that a leader must cultivate to lead from within and foster change.

Leaders must be able to recognize opportunities rather than obstacles. Leaders must understand why an initiative is necessary and how to implement it. Leaders must take the initiative and not just depend upon others to do things for them.

• In human terms, “initiative” means boldness, determination, innovation, and imagination.
• In the realm of business, an initiative is something that inspires others to follow suit.
• In business terms, an initiative has something to do with building a brand name, good reputation, or generating new customers.
• In politics, an initiative can be defined as the idea, initiative, or initiative that moved the public to action on some issue.

In business, taking action is critical because it can mean the difference between success and failure.

When you ask people to do things without asking questions, you will likely receive a lot of resistance or, even worse, nothing. When you ask questions, you get an answer, learn about the customer’s perspective, and make changes based on what they say.

In today’s economy, every leader needs to instill in their employees the value of taking the initiative in their daily work.

You will be disappointed if you wait for others to do something or expect them to take action before they take action you desire.

Show your employees that taking action is not only important, but it is their responsibility. They can be a positive force for success in the business world. When they do this, you can rest assured that your organization is headed in a good direction.