Near the top of my “Letterman’s Top Ten Things
to Learn List” is growing my initiative skills and has been an area I’ve tried
to challenge myself in BLF (it is also one of those words I cannot spell on the
first time for the life of me). Initiative is multidimensional and more than
simply taking a first step and starting something. I’ve learned that it’s more
than just a one-stop shop and is a process.
In a lot of experiences, initiative is usually accompanied by discomfort
at the outset. We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, or we don’t know how
what the outcome will be, so there is an inherent level of risk by taking
initiative. On the other side, I hear a lot of advice of people saying, “take
initiative to step out of your comfort zone”. I think that initiative and
comfort are tightly connected. Initiative in most cases forces us to step out
of our comfort bubbles, while comfort doesn’t give us the spark to change
anything or start something new.
Initiative also has a long-term component: it requires taking
responsibility and following through.
This week I called Dave Wilson for insight into our challenge strategy and also took the initiative to ask him a few questions on his thoughts on initiative. As someone who has started his own company, I figured he would know a thing or two—or a dozen—about taking initiative. He first defined initiative as “the willingness to start and maintain momentum to fulfill a given objective”. I think it is important to not only act, but act enthusiastically and invest yourself in a purpose. Initiative has emotional and goal-driven intentions. More on a personal note I asked Dave how to take initiative effectively in context of my introverted skills. He pointed out that initiative does not always have to spark from a personal level. Rather than taking impulsive initiative, it’s important to come from an informed position to know exactly when and how to take best advantage of the situation.
Each member of the panel was able to take initiative in different ways, from starting a business to being given huge financial responsibilities, but the overall message was there is a balance between personal relationships and being prepared. Each panelist relied on relationships that they grew to be put in the position to take initiative. They all preached the importance of saying ‘yes’ and being available to every situation given. But there was also emphasis on learning from each situation and in hindsight, being prepared more for those situations that they were presented with.
I had always seen introversion as an inhibition to initiative. While there is a heavy relational component to it, initiative is also sparked from an analytical and preparation method. It’s also a lot more than just starting something but taking responsibility and most importantly, following through.
