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Be Proactive, Not Reactive: 5 Tips to Seize Initiative at Work

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Thursday, October 17, 2024

Are you familiar with “A Message to Garcia” by Elbert Hubbard?

Set during the Spanish-American War, Hubbard tells the story of Lieutenant Andrew Rowan’s task of delivering a message from President McKinley to General García.

The problem? The General was somewhere in the mountains of Cuba, and there was no clear location or method of contacting him.

Did that stop the Lieutenant? No. He took his orders without making excuses or asking questions and summoned initiative, responsibility, and perseverance to deliver the critical message to General García.

So, what about you? Do you do things at work without being told? Does it make you feel good to follow through on an idea you had to improve your or someone else’s job?

If you answered yes to those opening questions, you might possess this can-do attitude from Hubbard’s story. It’s also a characteristic called initiative, which can serve you well in your life and career.

​If not, it’s something you can cultivate with practice. Use our tips below and start taking initiative on the job.

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The Benefits of Taking Initiative

Let’s skip right to the best part–the advantages of taking more initiative on the job. Initiative, or going above and beyond without being told, improves your chances of:

  • Leadership roles
  • Promotions and pay raises
  • Skill advancements
  • Achieving future goals
  • Motivating and uplifting others

You might be stuck in a work situation you dislike. You may think no good deed goes unpunished, and going above and beyond the call of duty only gets you more responsibilities for the same pay.

​If you’ve ever read books by Napoleon Hill, like “Think and Grow Rich” or “The Law of Success,” you might recall reading one of his famous lines about initiative in the workplace. Even if you’ve never read these, you might have seen or heard this quote:

“The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.”–Napoleon Hill

Going above and beyond the requirements benefits you. You are more likely to get noticed by people in positions of authority looking for leaders–people who need someone with great ideas who aren’t afraid to work to grow the company.

That attention can lead to more promotions and pay raises for you. It can lead to learning more skills to help you achieve future goals.

​Someone reading this might not enjoy their job. Taking initiative at a job you don’t like can lead to improved working conditions and relationships. You have the potential to turn a sour situation into a sweet gig.

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What is Initiative?

Initiative means doing things without being told. In a way, you take a certain amount of personal ownership in your job and the overall business, developing ways to do things better. Those ideas positively impact the success of the company and you.

​If you have initiative, you have drive, clear goals, and purpose. You are proactive and take pride in doing a job well.

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How to Show Initiative

Showing initiative by being proactive on the job requires you to notice issues and take steps to resolve them consistently.

​What habits and behaviors show initiative? Read five tips below to help you show more initiative at work. These can help you thrive in current roles and elevate your career.

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1. Set Career Goals

Ever feel like you’re stuck in the movie “Groundhog Day” where nothing ever changes? Combat that by learning to set goals.

Objectives and goals give you something to work towards and look forward to. Working towards goals helps you gamify life and work, which makes things more fun.

​Don’t just go through the motions of everyday life. Set short-, medium- and long-term objectives. Then, you can better identify opportunities to build accomplishments and skills.

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2. Do More Than Your Job Description

Most roles come with a written description of the tasks you’re responsible for. Going above and beyond, doing more than your primary duties, shows your dedication to your company’s success. You become an example to other workers, too. You could positively impact their performance and outlook.

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3. Remember, No Man Is an Island

You don’t have to have a “me first” or “me only” mentality to impress your manager or make yourself look good on a performance review. If you want to get ahead, it helps to remember that no man is an island. That means you need other people, and they need you.

​Develop a team mentality, and you’ll prove that you can look beyond personal achievements for the greater good. Helping team members benefits everyone.

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4. Practice Positivity

To paraphrase a quote from Maya Angelou, people will remember less about what you accomplish and more about how you make them feel.

You can probably think of some co-workers, past or present, who were just absolute nightmares to be around. Don’t be that person to someone else.

Be the person who finds the good in things. Be the person who says kind, uplifting things to others. Just a smile and a greeting can mean the world to someone.

​Your positive attitude can help you find solutions to problems. It can also set you apart as a leader and role model, propelling you to leadership positions.

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5. Notice Opportunities

Opportunity is all around you. While you may think your big break won’t happen until the Fortune 500 company of your dreams hires you as their CEO, you might miss an incredible opportunity right where you are.

Opportunities come up unexpectedly. They tend to disguise themselves as challenges.

​Ready yourself for challenges so that you can overcome them and seize the opportunity they bring. Think of worst-case scenarios and the best ways to respond to them. Determine how likely some of those scenarios are to occur. You’ll impress people with how you seem so ready for anything.

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Work Is What You Make Of It

No one thinks quite like you. Your company needs your ideas and follow-through to continuously improve. When you take ownership of improving what you can in your workplace, you make it a better place to spend time. With a positive attitude and commitment to teamwork, you make it a more enjoyable place to work.

It’s a win-win situation. Your initiative improves your workplace while helping you stand apart as a leader and improving your career trajectory. Plus, there’s room for everyone to shine–no one else’s initiative dims your brightness.

​Did you enjoy these tips from Hubbard and Hill and want to learn more about emerging as a career leader? Are you eager to cultivate and maintain the kind of positive mindset that attracts life and career successes? Learn more “life hacks” from great authors of our time in this entrepreneurship book club.

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Infographic

Showing initiative at work means recognizing and addressing issues proactively. Discover five tips in the infographic to help you demonstrate more initiative, which can lead to success in your current role and boost your career.

5 Workplace Proactive Habits Infographic

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