THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING THE INITIATIVE AS AN EXECUTIVE

At a function last week, I shared a story.

Some time ago, I went to Rwanda to do a video coverage of football in the country for television.

Unlike every other coach, I leveraged on the opportunity to get a business deal with Rwanda.

Speaking to their Federation President, I said “your team is doing well but it can be better. We can build this team into an international entity”

The above statement got his attention. He went further to ask how.

I pitched myself and presented the possibility of Rwandan football becoming an international force and he asked, who can possibly head this? I replied “me”.

Guess what? I got the deal.

This is how the concept of taking personal initiative works.

Like I shared at the event, taking initiative is a great way to get ahead, especially as a mid-level executive.

You don’t want to leave your career dependent on other people’s whims. You have to be innovative and creative.

An example I love to give is the concept of selling pencils.

If you go to your bosses with an idea of selling pencils, you have to be able to come up with flexible ways of how that pencil can actually be sold.

And when they need someone to head the project, it goes to you.

Where your brain is constantly moving, you should not stop, you have to impress the people at the front and the people you lead through confidence.

Do note that one skill that goes well with Personal initiative is Confidence or as I like to put it – arrogance in modesty.

You need to show Confidence when taking Initiative.

When you come up with an idea before your prospective client, you have to think outside the box, you don’t know if it’s going to work or not, take the example of selling pencils. Here you are using your own Personal initiative and Confidence.

If at any time your Personal initiative fails, you can always say, “at least I tried”

There is a need for you to be active constantly.

Just like a bicycle that needs to be in motion to move, let your mind be like a cycle filled with constant ideas. That’s the only way to get it right. Because, if you just wait for your boss or others to take the initiative, you are going to lose.

Hence the need to tune your mind to be flexible. Because when your mind is tuned to a flexible state,  the result will be mind-blowing.

Most importantly, you can book me as a Speaker in your event, or as your personal individual or corporate coach through my Academy – The TundeTalks Mindset Academy.

Just email me at tunde@tunde-talks.com