The Law of Success, Lesson 5, Initiative and Leadership

“If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you.” -Unknown

Success didn’t turn out to be as easy-peasy as I thought it would be when I was in my 20’s. Back then, everything seemed like it could quickly be done with a little bit of WD-40 on the elbows and some duct tape.

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Stop and imagine the success you’re daily dreaming about. How far do you get in your dream before you imagine an obstacle?

I’ve heard that Jean-Paul Sartre once said, “hell, is other people.” Other people are a huge obstacle for many dreamers to achieving their desired goals.

Jean-Paul Sartre was apparently a pessimist. The truth is that when you employ initiative and leadership correctly, other people are no longer obstacles in any way; they can become partners in your success.

“Success comes from taking the initiative and following up… persisting… eloquently expressing the depth of your love. What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life? Tony Robbins Click To Tweet

Initiative is when you get yourself to take action rather than waiting for someone else or circumstances to force you.

Leadership is being the influencer for your target audience who gets both them and you where you all need to be as effectively and efficiently as possible.

What Part of Initiative and Leadership is in Your Way of Success?

In this post, you’ll learn a crucial key to your relationship with people. No hell involved.

Each lesson in “The Law of Success” harmonizes with all of the other lessons. They build on the ones before them.

For example, as Mr. Hill makes clear, no one can be an effective leader or undertake a significant initiative of any sort unless they have some level of self-confidence. 

Leadership and Initiative are being discussed in this lesson together because, whereas leadership is necessary for the achievement of success, it’s also based on the foundation of an initiative of some sort.

Initiative is crucial to any type of success. “One of the peculiarities of leadership is the fact that it is never found in those who have not acquired the habit of taking the initiative.” Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, (Wilder Publications, Inc, First Edition, ©2011) page, 164.

The 16 Lessons is not a shortcut to success or a silver bullet formula. The value is in what you do with the information. The intent is for you to develop these qualities. One of the most important is the quality of initiative.

Napoleon Hill’s Personal Example

Mr. Hill gives an example of how he wanted to start an “educational institution” (a school of Advertising and Salesmanship) in 1916. He needed $25,000. He didn’t have the money or anything upon which to get a loan.

His definite chief aim became getting the $25,000; 

He reports that he didn’t sit around complaining about it or hoping that some rich relative would show up or die and leave him the money. He took his own advice and applied everything he’s teaching in his book; 

He spent six weeks carefully crafting a plan and getting together the necessary ingredients to pull off his plan. This included creating a detailed curriculum for his course of study; 

He approached a struggling business college in his area and proposed a partnership. Basically, they would promote and host his course until any contracted amount was paid off. After that time, he was free to leave the school and run the course on his own. They agreed. In about a year the goal was reached. Both the business school and he went on to thrive and prosper. It was win-win.

“Initiative is the pass-key that opens the door to opportunity.” (Unknown)

Out of that experience, he developed a kind of daily formula for his success that was in three parts.

Initiative is when you get yourself to take action rather than waiting for someone else or circumstances to force you. Click To Tweet

Part One: He committed to doing at least one definite thing each day that was important to be done, without anyone having to tell him to do it. In other words, it wasn’t “other initiated,” it was self-initiated.

Part Two: He’d intentionally find something on a daily basis that he wasn’t generally in the habit of doing, which would be of value to others, and that he would not expect some sort of pay.

Part Three: He would find at least one person each to whom he could pass on this formula.

“Those who work for money alone, and who receive for their pay nothing but money, are always underpaid, no matter how much they receive.” Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, (Wilder Publications, Inc, First Edition, ©2011) page, 168.

His motto became, “Remember that your only limitation is the one that you set up in your own mind.”

Then, his secretary did this…

He tells the story of how impressed his secretary was with that motto. She was making as much as any other person in a similar position to hers, but decided to come in after hours and do even more than she was doing.

She became of so much value that she began getting offers from other firms for more money. Eventually, he was paying her 4 times greater than when she first started. Wow!

“The only way to get happiness is by giving it away to others.” Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, (Wilder Publications, Inc, First Edition, ©2011) page,169.

In the same way, Mr. Hill points out that the same principle applies to developing initiative. If you encourage others that you meet to take the initiative on a regular and relentless basis, you will become a stronger and stronger initiator.

Not just any kind of leadership.

The kind of leadership Mr. Hill is talking about here is the kind that leads to “self-determination and freedom and self-development and enlightenment and justice; Not the kind that leads to narcissism.”

The downside of leadership.

Whoever is the point-man living in the “white light of publicity,” may either enjoy the benefits and rewards for being well regarded; or, if the public opinion turns against them, “fierce denial and detraction.”

A good leader needs to be prepared to face opposition and the tide of negative public opinion. As Louis L’Amour once wrote in one of his novels, “the surest way to make a pack of enemies is to take a stand on anything.”

To be better at weathering such things the leader must remain warm, responsive, caring, and more knowledgeable about what’s going on than those answering to them.

Be a student of people. Get to know how they tick, what they want, what they need, how best to communicate, and problem proactively solves with them.

“Know your men, know your business, know yourself.” Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, (Wilder Publications, Inc, First Edition, ©2011) page, 185.

Beware of intolerance. It’s a deadly poison to leadership.

“Cultivate LOVE for your fellow man, and you will no longer want to lock horns with him in futile combat. Love makes every man his brother’s keeper.” Napoleon Hill, The Law of Success in Sixteen Lessons, (Wilder Publications, Inc, First Edition, ©2011), page 196.

Where in your life do you need to be exhibiting initiative?

Who is waiting for you for leadership to go to the next step?

What value could you be contributing to others on a daily basis without pay?

Here’s to your success!

John Mason