Take Initiative!

To move the world we must first move ourselves – Socrates

Leaders take initiative. Successful people take initiative. If you think of any accomplishment, world renowned or personal, it all started with someone taking initiative. Yet we all lack initiative to a greater or lesser degree in some area of our lives. For example, many who demonstrate exceptional initiative in their business life often drag their feet in taking action on their health or relationships.
Taking initiative can be hard. But it does not have to be.

When we look at initiative the hesitation usually boils down to a couple of areas. Listed below are some common causes and suggested strategies for powering through the challenges.

1) Fear. Fear holds us back and is a great motivator to prevent us from reaching our goals. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of loss. Fear of pain. These are all common fears that keep us from taking initiative. I once had a terrible fear of heights. This kept me from participating in a variety of activities all through early life. Then, one day, I went with a friend to go skydiving. Just like that. I suited up, took the brief training class, headed up in the plane and dove out of the door with my dive master.

• Power Strategy: I didn’t really know it at the time but what I had applied was the understanding that fear is simply an emotion and I instantly changed my fear emotion with an excitement emotion. Instead of being afraid of what disaster could happen I focused instead on the excitement of accomplishing something very few people do in their lives. I applied this strategy on a massive level but it can be applied at any level. By translating your fear into something positive and motivating you can just start initiative quickly. Rather than being afraid to make that tough phone call, translate that fear into an empowering emotion like accomplishment.

2) Knowledge. Sometimes we fail to take initiative because we believe we lack the knowledge or talent to achieve the accomplishment. Sometimes this is a real lack of knowledge, sometimes perceived, sometimes it just doesn’t matter.

• Power Strategy: Can you learn it, and if so, how quickly? Can you leverage the task to someone else who has the skill you lack?

3) Timing. Often we are waiting for the “right” time to take initiative. Tomorrow, next week, next year. But when we’re honest with ourselves we know that tomorrow never comes until we take initiative. Timing is important. You don’t want to rush an important decision, conversation or project. However, don’t let a good time pass waiting for the “perfect” time.

• Power Strategy: It is easier to move from failure to success than from excuses to success. It does not hurt to envision the perfect scenario when setting out on a path. In that process, add a good scenario, including the timing, and seize the opportunity when “good” approaches. It may not be perfect but at least you’ve started down the right path and can correct along the way

4) Overwhelm. A challenge to initiative is overwhelm. Not knowing where to begin. This challenge can be a hurdle or crippling depending on the size of the task and your preparation to handle it.

• Power Strategy: Group it and plan it. Any task, no matter how big, can be broken down into its elements. By grouping a major project into big parts, then smaller parts, then individual tasks it is much easier to handle. You can also create a detailed plan on how to go about accomplishing each task along the way.
  In addition to a few of the strategies listed above another power strategy for helping kick start your initiative is to hire a coach. A coach can help you identify what might be holding you back, provide perspective, help you set goals, plan & prioritize and keep you accountable for growth and success.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

• Name an area of your business or personal life where you need to take more initiative
• Do you have any fears about this area? Do you lack the knowledge necessary to become better in this area? Are you waiting for the "perfect" timing? Do you feel overwhelmed?
• What other obstacles are in your way?
• Apply the Power Strategies listed above to help clear the way
• Hire a coach! Contact us for a no cost strategy session.

The One Thing

This is a powerful tool for yourself or your company.

The concept is basically this: define for yourself the "One Thing" in a given month, week, day that, if completed effectively, could have the highest level of impact for your organization's growth.WOW!

That's hard to do if you have multiple priorities (hmmm..like everyone). But when you sit down to think it through you give yourself incredible focus!

• You cut through the clutter - it's easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day. And give yourself excuses. By mapping out the One Thing at the beginning you can identify what doesn't need to be done (and maybe have the same or better result).
• You'll keep yourself accountable - you WILL get that One Thing done come hell or high water. How can you not get the One Thing done?
• It's measurable - or at least it should be! You'll know exactly when you accomplished the outcome and can celebrate it.
  

And from a management perspective...WOW! I know one particular company CEO who uses this and it allows him to have visibility on the whole organization in one sheet. He can, at a glance, get a pulse of the organization from the people doing the actual work. Yes, these One Things go through the chain of command and are often re-defined or fleshed out through the process but when it is done and submitted the guy at the top knows what is happening from the front door to the executive office and everywhere in between in a snapshot view. At the end of the month, a second report is generated that reports on how many One Things were accomplished. No pomp and circumstance, no filtering, no fluff. Yes or no. That's powerful! And the whole process takes just a few minutes from all participants and a focused session from the CEO to understand what activity will take place, or has taken place, in a given month.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

• Create your One Thing for the month. Write it down. Remember, it should be the single most important thing for the month and it must be SMART. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Framed.
• Share this action and your "why" with your leadership coach (or other personal accountability partner) now
• Need a coach, some feedback or just want to share? Contact us! See top righthand side of page for contact information.
  

See also Focus is Power!

Focus is Power!

One question that often comes up from those who want to become a more personally successful or a stronger leader is: What typically defines the most successful person or how does someone lead the pack?

Without hesitation my reply is FOCUS.

Knowing what result you want to achieve and having a relentless pursuit toward its attainment is what makes people successful. The ability to maintain focus is a leadership trait.

• Know WHAT you want to achieve - each day. If you arise each day with a set of goals that you WILL achieve before the end of the day you are ahead of most. This is not a list of "ought to" but rather a list of "WILL DO".
• Attach a meaning to each result. What will achieving the result mean to you? This will help you maintain your focus throughout the day. Give the meaning some sizzle. Because the boss wants me to is motivating to some degree but that can keep you in fear or distracted by the potential outcome of failing to achieve. Make the meaning personal and something that can get you fired up!
• Create a system for success. In basketball, players are coached during practice to shoot a free throw the exact same way each time. Whatever it is - bounce the ball three times, spin it in your hands, deep breath, shoot. It doesn't matter but you have to do it the dame way every time. Why? Because when you get in a game with pressure coming at you from fans you can settle down, go into your rhythm and shoot the easy shot. The same is true for you at work. Know how you work best and how you want your day to unfold. Then plan it out ahead of time and execute.
• Say NO. Or at least set expectations. Everyone in today's busy workplace has tons of tasks to complete and demands from all around. If you are to be focused you either need to say "no" to new demands or set expectations that allow you to under promise and over deliver. The expectation should be set that allows you to first achieve the goals you are focused on and then take on the new items. You will obviously need to prioritize when there is a critical and urgent situation but don't let everything be critical and urgent.
  

FOCUS. I believe that if you have no other trait than focus you will find success in your life. With focus, you create the tools and gain the knowledge you need to achieve the results you desire.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

• Think of the one important action you need to take within the next 24 hours. Write it down
• Why do you want to achieve it? Make your "why" meaningful to YOU.
• What obstacle(s) might get in your way (other people's demands, distractions). How can you overcome those obstacles? How can you effectively set other's expectations so you can reach your goal?
• Share this action and your "why" with your leadership coach (or other personal accountability partner) now
• Need coaching, feedback or just want to share? Contact us! See top righthand side of page for contact information.