When I am coaching employees to develop in their careers, there are two actions I recommend: take more initiative and increase your sphere of influence. These phrases may sound nebulous, so I asked an LLM to provide guidance.
1. “Take More Initiative” → What this actually looks like
Most people think initiative = “work harder” or “be proactive.” That’s useless guidance.
Real definition:
You identify problems/opportunities and move them forward without waiting to be told.
What to DO (practical behaviors)
1. Bring solutions, not just problems
- Bad: “This process is slow.”
- Better: “This process is slow. I think we can fix it by doing X. I can test it this week.”
Weekly habit:
- Identify 1 friction point in your work
- Propose 1 concrete improvement
- Take first step yourself
2. Start before you’re fully told
- Don’t wait for perfect clarity
- Make a reasonable assumption and move
Example:
- “I didn’t have all the details, so I drafted a version to get us started.”
That alone separates top performers.
3. Own outcomes, not tasks
- Task mindset: “I did what you asked”
- Ownership mindset: “Did this actually solve the problem?”
Ask yourself:
- “If this fails, do I feel responsible?”
If the answer is no, you’re not taking initiative yet.
4. Close loops
- Follow up without being asked
- Report progress before someone has to check
Simple rule:
- If someone is wondering “what happened with that?” → you missed initiative
5. Volunteer for ambiguous work Growth lives in unclear problems.
Action:
- Once per month: raise your hand for something not fully defined
2. “Increase Sphere of Influence” → What this actually means
This one gets misunderstood a lot.
Real definition:
Your work affects more people, teams, or decisions—not just your own tasks.
What to DO (practical behaviors)
1. Make your work visible (without bragging) If people don’t see your impact, your influence stays small.
Weekly habit:
- Share 1 update that answers:
- What problem you worked on
- What changed because of it
2. Help beyond your immediate scope
- Answer questions
- Unblock others
- Share knowledge
Rule:
- Spend ~10–15% of your time helping outside your direct tasks
3. Build relationships intentionally Influence = trust + familiarity
Action:
- Each month: connect with 1 new person in another team
- Ask: “What’s slowing your team down right now?”
4. Contribute to decisions, not just execution
- Speak up in meetings
- Offer perspective backed by your work
Simple shift:
- Don’t just report status → add a recommendation
5. Think one level higher
- Instead of: “How do I complete this task?”
- Ask: “How does this impact the team/company?”
Then act accordingly.
How to Combine Both (this is where promotions happen)
The real jump happens when someone does BOTH at once:
They take initiative on things that impact more than just themselves.
Example transformation
Before (typical employee):
- Fixes their own workflow issue
After (promotion-ready):
- Fixes it
- Documents it
- Shares it
- Helps others adopt it
That’s initiative + influence.