Initiative

At Level 3, initiative becomes strategic. You seek out opportunities to improve the team's outcomes—not just its processes. You proactively align your ideas with broader goals, scope out the work needed, and rally others to move things forward together. You think about impact, involve the right people, and help your team focus on what matters most.

Key Behaviors

  • Identifies meaningful problems and proposes impactful solutions
  • Takes ownership of medium-scope initiatives from start to finish
  • Aligns efforts with team or org priorities
  • Pulls in collaborators early to build shared momentum
  • Communicates progress clearly and adjusts based on feedback

Common Struggles

  • May overextend by chasing too many improvements at once
  • Can struggle to balance initiative work with core responsibilities
  • Might assume alignment instead of confirming it

Success Indicators

You know you're successful when you:

  • Take initiative that meaningfully improves how your team works or delivers
  • Think through scoping, risks, and impact—not just execution
  • Keep stakeholders informed and involved
  • Earn trust through follow-through and outcomes

Mindset Shift

From:

"How can I improve this team?"

To:

"How can I help this org grow, adapt, or deliver better?"

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • Where are we stuck or spinning our wheels?
  • What's a repeating friction that no one owns yet?
  • Who would benefit most from this change—and who should help lead it?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Validate that your initiative aligns with team or org strategy
  • 2
    Share early drafts or ideas for feedback—not just finished work
  • 3
    Make success measurable and invite critique

Seek Feedback

  • "What ripple effects did this effort have?"
  • "Was this the right level of scope and ambition?"
  • "How could I have engaged more of the right people?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • Your initiatives are referenced or reused by others
  • You're invited to shape team direction or process improvements
  • Your efforts unlock forward movement for others

Focus Summary

  • Lead with purpose
  • Connect ideas to impact
  • Make change stick

At Level 3, initiative is about thinking bigger and executing with focus. You build alignment, act with intention, and help the team move forward together.