[September 26, 2015] After the capture of the capital city of Baghdad Iraq in early 2004, coalition engineers were building confinement facilities for the thousands of prisoners. One of the engineers was U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul Smith. On April 4th his men were ambushed by a large Iraqi Republican Guard force. Smith was wounded early but rallied his men, organized a defensive position, and manned a heavy machine gun destroying much of the attacking force. For taking the initiative in battle, Smith was awarded the Medal of Honor.1
“Genius is initiative on fire.” – Holbrook Jackson
SFC Paul Smith was also killed in that battle but he was able to save the remainder of his small force made up of “construction” engineers; soldiers not normally involved in combat. It’s true that Smith was a smart and hard working soldier and it was also true that he was passionate and devoted to the U.S. Army. Fortunately for his men, on that day in Iraq, he was also at the top of his game and he made quick, decisive, and just the right decisions that we now recognize an exemplary example of initiative.
“If you don’t make dust, you eat dust.” – Motto of Jack A. MacAllister
Those who do take the initiative are those same people who have the ability to spot and act on opportunities that others don’t often see. They keep themselves open to new ideas and new possibilities. They are persistent in moving forward regardless of obstacles that may be in their way. Engineers are taught to go over, under, around, or through any obstacle in their path. Smith recognized an opportunity to save his men and he did so without hesitation notwithstanding the personal risk involved.
Leaders sometimes fail to take the initiative because of either fear, laziness, or they lack the desire to take responsibility for their actions. Fear creates hesitation in people but overcoming it to drive forward is the epitome of a good leader. If Smith had taken counsel of his fears, his men would have been wiped out by the Iraqi military that day. Fortunately for them, that was not the case.
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[Note] Nice article summarizing 48 ways to take the initiative at the Kaizen Journaling blog.