Success Advice
12 Ways to Take More Initiative in Your Life and Business

Each of us is responsible for our own lives, our futures and everything in between. It’s not enough to simply sit back and wait for success to find us. We need to take initiative to seek out and create that success for ourselves, whether it’s in our daily lives or in business.
While there’s nothing you can do to control the things that happen around you, every aspect of how your life develops is the sole responsibility of you and you alone. It begins by taking the initiative to do something, to take action and to make things happen.
Here are a dozen ways you can start taking action to find success in every aspect of your life:
1. Ask lots of questions
We can’t learn if we aren’t asking questions. In addition to helping us gather information, being inquisitive shows others that we have a genuine interest. This means, whether it’s in a workplace setting or in day to day life, those around us will be more willing to teach and guide us, because we’ve shown them we are interested.
2. Make a list and get it done
It’s easy to put things off or forget what needs to get done when you don’t have a concrete list to follow. Even if it’s something as simple as household chores or errands that need to be done, having a list in front of you helps keep you on track to get things done. It also feels great to visually see things being checked off of your list, and keeps you motivated to do more.
3. Recognize your mistakes
There’s another list you can make – that’s a list of your biggest mistakes. It’s not a matter of dwelling on those things we did wrong in our past, but rather examining them and drawing lessons that we can carry forward. If we’ve made bad financial decisions in our lives, writing down and recognizing these mistakes, then learning from them can help you avoid making those same mistakes again.
4. Own those mistakes
It does take a lot of courage to not only admit you’ve made a mistake, but completely own it as your own. Trying to put the blame on anyone but yourself means you’re not able to accept the responsibility for those mistakes.
“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” – Morihei Ueshiba
5. Let your voice be heard
It can be intimidating sometimes to speak up, especially when we’re in a new situation or still learning something. But, putting your ideas out there can show great initiative in a meeting, where you can share your opinions and present your ideas. Not all of your ideas will hit the mark, but you have to take a shot in order to score.
6. Set goals
Milestones, both small and large, are great motivators for success. They set us up for successes and give us targets to keep in our sight. The small or short term goals keep us moving towards our larger goals. Whether it’s a scholarship you’re aiming to get in order to help propel your education or completing that education and walking across stage to collect your diploma, setting goals help build the steps along the way to the ultimate success you’re seeking.
7. Actively participate
No matter if it’s work related or in everyday life, don’t just be a wallflower. Participate actively and get involved in what you’re doing. Taking part in discussions and activities helps make your presence known and shows that you’ve got enthusiasm for what you’re doing.
8. Embrace new opportunity
New opportunities will always present themselves to you, in different situations throughout your life. It can sometimes be unnerving to consider change and new opportunities, but remember that progress can’t be made without change happening. A willingness to embrace new opportunities shows that you’ve got the initiative to accept new challenges and changes in order to find success.
9. Stick to your values
Think about the values that are most important to you, and hold them high. Upholding these values demonstrates that you are willing to work for the success you want, without ever having to compromise what you believe in.
10. Inform yourself
The greatest service you can do to yourself, while seeking out success, is making a well informed decision. It shows that you’re not just making flippant decisions or taking a shot in the dark, and that you’re actually taking the initiative to educate yourself in order to properly decide what moves you want to make.
“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day.” – Jim Rohn
11. Ask an expert
A great way to learn is to ask someone who’s already been there. If you’ve got goals of working for yourself as a freelance writer, it’s a good idea to sit down with someone who’s found success doing that, in order to pick their brain.
12. Make a plan
You can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you’re going. Laying out your plan creates a vision of your future as you see it, and gives you a road map to follow in order to get there.
Which one of these things are you going to focus on immediately? Please leave your thoughts below!
Success Advice
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
Success Advice
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
-
Build diverse talent pipelines
-
Embrace flexible work models
-
Design compelling career paths
-
Simplify HR processes
-
Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)
-
Entrepreneurs4 weeks ago
Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs
-
Health & Fitness3 weeks ago
The Surprising Link Between Exercise and Higher Income
-
Entrepreneurs3 weeks ago
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
-
Entrepreneurs2 weeks ago
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
-
Change Your Mindset2 weeks ago
7 Goal-Setting Mistakes That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Success
-
Success Advice1 week ago
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
-
Success Advice5 days ago
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
-
Business3 days ago
The Entrepreneur’s Reading List That Transforms Ideas Into Empires