Initiative

At Level 4, initiative becomes catalytic. You recognize critical gaps, emerging opportunities, or organizational blind spots—and you rally the right people to respond. Your efforts span multiple teams, and your actions accelerate outcomes the org might otherwise stall on. You think ahead, move deliberately, and empower others to carry momentum forward.

Key Behaviors

  • Identifies cross-team or systemic challenges before they escalate
  • Proactively leads high-impact initiatives that align with org goals
  • Engages diverse perspectives early to build durable alignment
  • Mobilizes people and resources across disciplines to get unblocked
  • Translates ambiguity into focused, collective action

Common Struggles

  • May take on too much without building sufficient shared ownership
  • Can unintentionally bypass systems or roles in the name of progress
  • Might move too quickly for others to fully align or understand

Success Indicators

You know you're successful when you:

  • Catalyze change across teams, functions, or systems
  • Identify and activate others to co-lead sustained efforts
  • Align action with timing, momentum, and organizational readiness
  • Help the org tackle challenges that require coordination and courage

Mindset Shift

From:

"I lead meaningful change."

To:

"I make it easier for others to lead meaningful change."

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • What's blocking this organization from moving faster or smarter?
  • Who else needs to lead in this space—and how can I support them?
  • How can we build muscle around proactive, collective ownership?

Build These Habits

  • 1
    Share credit, context, and decision-making with those affected
  • 2
    Translate momentum into playbooks, practices, or rhythms
  • 3
    Practice letting go—design initiatives that outlive your direct involvement

Seek Feedback

  • "What helped you feel empowered to lead here?"
  • "Where did this effort create confusion or unintended impact?"
  • "What part of this should I hand off or decentralize next?"

Signals You're Ready to Level Up

  • Your efforts multiply others' impact—not just your own
  • People credit you with making big change feel possible and shared
  • You're known for seeing what's needed—and helping others deliver it

Focus Summary

  • Spot momentum
  • Invite others
  • Make change scalable

At Level 4, initiative is about creating leverage for the whole org. You move first, but never alone—and what you start helps others lead.