Initiative can be defined as the ability to act on your own and make decisions without the help or advice of other people. According to the Encarta Webster’s Dictionary, initiative provides a platform for a favourable position that allows somebody to take pre-emptive action or control events.
According to the New World Dictionary of the American Language, 1975, the definedition of Initiative is thus:
‘the action of taking the first step or move’
‘ ability‘ability in originating new ideas or methods’
According to the Encarta Webster’s Dictionary, initiative provides a platform for a favourable position that allows somebody to take pre-emptive action or control events.
You should consider taking the initiatives in the four following areas:
• Taking the initiative in matters that you already know is your responsibility
This is a no brainer. Don’t let people start to tell you or force you to carry out what you already know is your responsibility. If you allow yourself to be ‘pushed’ around, told By the time people start to push you around to do what is rightly your obligation, the value and the pride in its delivery is already lost. Wwhen you eventually get on to the task, p. People then say, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
• Taking the initiative in matters that concern or benefit self
If you don’t act on matters that concern your own life, no one else will. However, you may be surprised to know that millions of people across the world live every day, , and leavinge matters that mostly concern them in the hand of others. Rather than take use their initiative, a lot of people shy away from their responsibilities and look for others to blame. But initiative is whatputs you in control.
I was to sit for the Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists UK (MRCPsych) examinations in the late 1990s when I received a gentle word of advice from my consultant trainer at the time:
“John, you are one of the best doctors that I have worked with for in a long time; but the problem is, many times, I can’t hear you.”
That was a hint – I would fail my exams if I went for the oral examination and couldn’t communicate well.
As soon as I got home, I presented a 10-minute case summary of a psychiatric case to myself, as I would do in a real exam, and recorded it on a cassette tape. When I played the tape back, I couldn’t hear myself! True. I felt deflated. What was the problem? I was too fast (I inherited that from my mother); I spoke with a strong [African] accent (my father was responsible for that); and I had just arrived in England (blame my wife for that). I knew straightaway that I had a lot of catching up to do; otherwise failure in the exams was guaranteed.
I quickly searched for speech therapists and voice coaches online, and I found one in central London. I paid eighty pounds (£80) for a therapist to analyse my speech for 10 minutes. I read from a book for about five minutes. This was her verdict:
“I can’t find anything wrong with your speech; you just need to practice slowing down. And do stress some of your words to make yourself clearer. You’ll be fine.”
The voice coach gave me some practice materials, and sent me out on my way–all within 20 minutes. I had just paid the therapist an equivalent of two hundred and forty pounds (£240) for one hour of work. I felt I had been cheated out of such a large amount; I had received in 20 minutes, a verdict that I could have given to myself. The only consolation was that I passed all my exams first time round, thanks for her helpat the first sitting. All in all, I used my initiative and got my voice level sorted. No one had to do it for me. No one could do it for me. My consultant trainer had spoken to me; it was now left to me to do something about it or do nothing about it. Thank God, I took the initiative.
Until that time, I never knew such wickedness exist in the world! I felt like I had been robbed, in broad daylight, and worse, with my consent. The only consolation was that I passed all my exams at the first sitting.
• Taking the initiative in matters that concern or might benefit others
Taking Using your initiatives will cost you. Also, pPeople around you may not understand your motives or appreciate what you are trying to do. Some might even go out of their way to obstruct you or undermine what you are trying to achieve.
The number one rule is this: Do it all the same if it is the right thing to do.
I was working for a consultant in London in 2005 when he suggested (on a Wednesday) that we could write an article in one of the reputable journals about the challenges we were facing in transferring mentally unwell prisoners to hospital for treatment. The next time I was going to see him was the following Monday. I knew I had to act quickly on what was a good idea and a very topical issue at the time. Over the preceedingpreceding weekend, I carried out a literature search on the subject matter and produced a four-page preliminary summary, with full references.
My consultant was highly impressed; and he gave me his backing support for us toto explore the subject further. We did, and I recruited two other colleagues who contributed greatly to the project. We produced an article which was accepted for publication.
I inserted my boss’s name as the first author (as he was the originator of the idea) but he insisted I should be the first author on the paper. I thought that was very generous of him, but my boss argued that it was my initiative that turned what was a mere suggestion from him into an idea article which led to a publication in a high impact journal. I did not protest any further and accepted to be the first author on the paper.
• Taking initiative in matters that might never benefit you
For me, this is the ultimate, and the hallmark of true servanthood. Some things we do to for others, we would may never know the resultant effect in this life.
If there is a cause or act that is good, stand up for it and be counted. It may be to assist the old lady who is trying to cross a busy road with her shopping or to console the neighbour or work colleague who hasd just lost something precious to them or supporting homeless orphans in far flung places of the earth. Just do it, and never look back.
An Amazing act of using one’s initiative and kindness was plastered over the news media in the month of January 2015. When local Katie Cutler heard about the plight of a 67-year-old disabled man who was violently mugged outside his home in Gateshead, England, she set up an online fund to raise £500 to assist the man to move house as he was too afraid to return home (Daily Mail, UK; 30 January 2015). In just three days, over £200,000 had been raised as donations poured in from around the world.
Initiative had just turned Ms Cutler, a local beautician, into a world-class hero!
