Developing Self: Initiative

We Will Be the Example … We ARE Mission Ready Airmen!

Initiative Is: “The ability to assess and initiate things independently. "Use your initiative, imagination, and common sense." From AFH 36-2647 (Air Force competency modeling) “Does more than is required or expected to improve job results; takes action appropriately without prompting.” More importantly, checkout SSgt Holmes’ great definition and explanation below.

Let’s Talk About It: Some that just read those definitions may believe that it is not fair, because it appears that Airmen must do more than is required. We should challenge that thought and reflect on our actions. Do we go the extra step to help someone, do we stop and pick up that piece of trash, do we wait on someone to tell us to do “it” because it isn’t our mission; or do we have the “I can help” mindset? Do we strive to make situations and our missions better?

Why It Is Required: In our last article we discussed being a MRA and what that requires for us as Airmen. Initiative is required for us to be successful as a nation and as an Air Force. All Airmen must meet the standard; however, initiative is not technically required for individual Airmen, but we should all ask ourselves the following question. “Why would we not want to have initiative...why would we not have excellence in all that we do?”

Just Getting By: The Profession of Arms requires a lot, and those whom have chosen to serve the American public in the PoA have answered a higher calling of service. Many Airmen operate at the expert level (ref the AFH) and demonstrate initiative; however, there are some that demonstrate a low level of initiative and still have an expectation that they will receive the same level of evaluations, recognition, or awards as their peers that have shown initiative.

Listen to this article here

SSgt Holmes perfectly captures initiative and its importance here!

“Initiative is someone’s personal responsibility to make the decision to see a problem or a program and finding a way to improve upon it. It is seeing an opportunity and instead of awaiting permission to act upon it, you have enough faith in your abilities (and your leadership has enough faith in you), that you can seize the chance to experience something new.

A mentor told me that leading with initiative is teaching your Airmen to be able to hear someone sing a-b-c-d and automatically add f and g. It teaches people to have the capacity and confidence to anticipate things. Initiative is executing the anticipated actions. Being able to put these skills into practice gives our airmen the confidence in themselves and their leadership to be able to sing without a fear of being off key, if that makes any sense.

Initiative is something that is very personal, but it is also a skill that can be taught and improved upon. If we take the time to build up everyone around us and give them the confidence needed to want to take the initiative, then we can make some amazing improvements to the air force and the world.”

~SSgt Emily Holmes: NCOIC, IPR 42 FSS

Here is a separate article “weaponized success” which dives into what happens when we choose to negate our initiative.

Words, words, words … let’s GO!

~Crusader Chief