Leadership Trait of the Day: INITIATIVE

Yesterday we discussed decisiveness – today we will look at the closely related Leadership trait of Initiative.  When the Marine Corps developed its acronym JJDIDTIEBUCKLE for its 14 Leadership traits, there is a reason it put initiative next to decisiveness – they are two sides of the same coin.

At their simplest, Decisiveness is your ability to make a decision – Initiative impacts your ability to act on that decision.  You can make the best decision in the world, but it is meaningless until you put it into action. 

In this sense Initiative is CARPE DIEM – Seize the Day!  Make a decision and move on it.  As the great Will Rogers said “Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” 

However, making a decision and acting on it is only one part of Initiative.  Yes, it is an important part, and yes, a good leader has to have the initiative to act on his decisions.  But a great leader will show Initiative in other ways as well. 

The Marine Corps defines Initiative as "taking action in the absence of orders."  In other words when you see something that needs to be done - do it ... don't wait for directions.  This is above and beyond merely making a decision.  This is the heart of being proactive; of seeing and solving problems before they are Problems.


As a Leader, you have to exercise this type of Initiative.  You cannot wait for things to happen - if you do, you are constantly reacting and are never directing.  Leaders are proactive, not reactive.  You cannot successfully direct your people if you are constantly reacting.  So, to be a successful Leader, you have to anticipate what is coming and plan accordingly.  Often, if you act first, you can shape and control events - instead of letting events control you.  This allows you to direct your people and to have a plan.  Your subordinates will be more effective when you are proactive - they will also be happier.   

Click through for a further discussion on how a Leader can develop initiative.

So, what are some ways a Leader can exercise Initiative? 

Be Decisive - We covered that in detail here.

Plan - Whether your plan reaches to tomorrow, next week, next month or next year, you have to have one.  You have to have a vision, a mission, and goals.  Then you need to plan on how to reach them.  Your plan will constantly change - in the Marine Corps we say that the best plan never survives enemy contact, but when you have a plan, it is easier to make adjustments.  Plus, when creating your plan, you often think about possible changes and alterations to your plan ahead of time.   

Think Outside the Box – One aspect of initiative is coming up with a new way of doing things.  One of the biggest obstacles to any organization is the mindset of “that’s how we do it.”  A leader will show initiative by taking a second look at internal processes and procedures to see if there is a better way to conduct business. 

Improvise, Adapt and Overcome – Do not assume that there is only one way to do something.  Think outside the box.  There are always creative solutions to problems.  You have to have the Initiative to look at problems from multiple angles to find a solution. 

Talk to Your People – Some of the best ideas come for the men in the trenches.  If you want to discover problems and creative solutions, talk to the people who are doing the work. 

This is not a full list; there are millions of ways you can show Initiative as a leader.  Start with taking the Initiative to find what works for you.