The Art of Taking Initiative – Part 1, By LINDA ASIMOLE ELLAH

are you a learner?

“For change to happen in any community, the initiative must come from the individual.” – Dalai Lama

When I think of the art of taking initiative, the first thought that comes to my mind is, “It’s simply good to be good by doing the right thing”. Could this perspective of looking at taking initiative be too simplistic or too subjective? Well, maybe. However, taking initiative, from any angle you choose to look at it, points to bringing out some good from within you. And what makes it special, beautiful, and remarkable is that it is you who decides what that action step would be. You are not forced to do it.

Napoleaon Hill puts it so well when he said: “Initiative is doing the right thing without being told.” This means taking initiative is a self-prompting action to carry out what you think is the right thing to do. Of course, a person could also take the initiative of doing the wrong thing, even with full awareness. However, our focus here will be on “doing the right”.

GETTING STUNTED WITHOUT INITIATIVE

Do you know that there are adults who never learnt how to take initiative? Their growth in this area got stunted. As they grew up from childhood, they were not helped to develop the habit of taking initiative. They sit and wait for life to happen to them. They are not self-driven or self-motivated. So, when it comes to taking a step forward, their growth in that area is stunted.

And then you begin to see this in virtually every aspect of their lives. In their career, in marriage, in relationships, in decision-making, in leadership, and in risk-taking. Some adults who fall into this may not be able to even admit this to themselves. They have buried their heads in the sand, hoping against hope that life will be better someday, somehow.

“Lots of people never use their initiative because no one told them to. – Banksy

Not taking initiative has kept many adults stunted or stuck in different areas of their lives. They are not able to take certain steps to move their own lives forward. They did not build their capacity to take that next step that could lead to that breakthrough they need in life. Such adults live within their safe zone. But sorry, as it is said, a ship is safe in the harbor, but that is not where and what it is built for.

Sometimes, taking initiative may seem or feel like cheating yourself or enslaving yourself to others, but so long as it is an action you choose to do from your heart, you always get to bear the reward eventually. Generally, taking initiative to do the right thing does not go with grumbling and complaining. Often, taking the initiative to do something would usually come from a place of inner freedom to get something done.

EXPECTATIONS AROUND TAKING INITIATIVE

Though for some persons, after they have taken this initiative, they in turn have some expectations and await specific feedbacks. Well, if this is the case, you may very well get disappointed, frustrated, or decide never to take initiative again. Ideally, you take initiative because you are convinced that this is what needs to be done, come what may. So, it becomes secondary to you whether you get recognized, appreciated, rewarded or not.

Nonetheless, everyone wants to feel appreciated. Even in the work setting, people change organization or company when they do not feel appreciated, recognized, or properly compensated over a period. When people take the initiative to do the right things, there should be moments when such persons are recognized and appreciated by the authorities.

“Bureaucracy destroys initiative.” – Frank Herbert

Yet, on a personal note, it is best to take up an initiative for the intrinsic value you see in undertaking the good act. In this way, taking initiative becomes a second nature, you build yourself more and would not necessarily wait to be duly recognized or appreciated.

All in all, taking the initiative to do the right thing primarily benefits you. Other people share in that good, but you do not lose out on the merits of the good you do from your heart.

“Without initiative, leaders are simply workers in leadership positions.” – Robert Foster Bennett

“Excellence isn’t about working extra hard to do what you’re told. it is about taking the initiative to do work you decide is worth doing.” – Seth Godin

So, in Part 2, we will look at what taking initiative does to you.
(To be continued)

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*