Don’t hesitate to be the first to take the initiative. If you need to clean up some bad blood over a heated discussion with a peer, manager, direct report or family member, why not make the first move? If you are a leader, does it matter if you or the other person was right or wrong? Regardless of who is right or wrong, the leaders seek to be intentional regarding mending relationships. If we keep it real, often our emotions take over and logic is thrown out of the window. At times those negative emotions consume us and as a result we may feel we need to isolate ourselves from the situation. We may see each other in passing but we only interact when necessary. We avoid being in each other’s presence. We avoid reconciliation and ignore the new negative dynamics within the team which were created by the leader’s (our) new patterns of behavior. How long will we wait to discuss the fallout? Are we waiting for the other party to make the first move? If no one steps up, the communication challenges that could be resolved immediately will remain as a barrier, as well as the broken relationship. What are the enemies that hold us back from moving forward?
- Pride
- Fear
- Anger
- Jealousy
- Hatred
- Gossip
- Ulterior motives
If we can get over ourselves we can continue the journey to live up to our FULL potential as a leader. Taking the initiative is simply taking the first step leading to action. You are a leader and people are watching your moves on a daily basis. They are watching more attentively than you realize. Regardless of what was said or done, by taking the initiative you will lead by example. You can show your team and all onlookers how it’s done because you are a resilient leader. The world can’t hold you back! Pull the trigger first! Take the initiative and kill the enemies that are barriers to the team moving forward! Who do you need to talk to today?
“Prolonged idleness paralyzes initiative” – Unknown
