Initiative is the ability to act proactivelyThis involves being daring, bold, imaginative and able to think on your feet. This requires boldness, determination and a willingness to take risks.autonomy and a certain sense of responsibility, while taking into account the collective framework.
It's a soft skill invaluable in agile, innovative or changing environments, where individual responsiveness is a lever for collective performance.
Examples
- Launch a project to improve a process
- Propose a new communications strategy
Why develop this soft skill?
A spirit of initiative enables you to :
- Speed up problem-solving
- Innovating, testing and improving practices
- Reduce dependence on hierarchical decisions
- Creating value through action, even outside the strict perimeter of the Group
- Encouraging responsibility and autonomy
Never ask if you're allowed to innovate. Act and improve.
Adapted from start-up culture
How can we develop it?
- Learn to spot areas of improvement or opportunity, however small
- Set small, proactive goals each week
- Getting out of your comfort zone: suggesting, testing, iterating
- Assess reasonable risks before acting without delay
- Promote and share successful initiatives to inspire others
🔁 Associated skills
- Autonomy
- Creativity
- Problem solving
- Self-confidence
- Sense of responsibility
Self-assessment
✅ I suggest ideas or improvements without waiting to be asked.
✅ I make simple decisions independently.
✅ I'm not afraid to try new methods.
✅ I dare to act without waiting for systematic validation.
✅ I make myself useful even beyond my formal perimeter.
Less than 4 positive responses? You can start practising on small, low-risk projects.
Read also
Design thinking: innovate, renovate, wake up your management!
Boost your creativity to achieve your goals
To remember
The spirit of initiative does not mean "doing anything on your own", but rather dare to propose and take action to move things forward. It values autonomy, responsibility and personal contribution to collective performance. It is an essential driver of innovation, agility... and job satisfaction.