Do you take the initiative or wait for others?

Are you the type of person who normally takes the initiative or do you prefer that someone else does before you get involved in something?

Does it make a difference what the activity is?

Depends on what it is and why.

If it's something I am good at and it is important and needs to be done, I'll take initiative... it rarely happens but I haven't had a problem the few times it has happened.

It's kind of weird because I seem to be oriented by pressure and situation... so things that don't matter a whole lot I can be very passive about but if it's important and I'm pressed on it, I act like a totally different person and it even surprises myself.

Originally Posted by napoleon227

Are you the type of person who normally takes the initiative or do you prefer that someone else does before you get involved in something?

Does it make a difference what the activity is?

If I want something done, and I see it as relatively simple then yes I take the initiative because I just want it completed.
If it's not important to me I take a back seat and let someone else take over.

So yeah it does matter what the activity is. Work - I usually take the initiative and just do what needs to be done.
Relationships - again if that person mattered a lot to me I take the initiative, although it really does depend on the subject matter, serious (resolve a disagreement) - yes, not so serious (housework) - nope.

Originally Posted by sprinkles

Depends on what it is and why.

If it's something I am good at and it is important and needs to be done, I'll take initiative... it rarely happens but I haven't had a problem the few times it has happened.

It's kind of weird because I seem to be oriented by pressure and situation... so things that don't matter a whole lot I can be very passive about but if it's important and I'm pressed on it, I act like a totally different person and it even surprises myself.

I agree, I'm like this too.

I'm passive. I wait for others to make the initiative.

If nothing happens and it's an important issue for me, I do what has to be done. It drains my energy to push the people around, so I rather not.

I took once a test as a part of a job interview, and I was told that I want to stay behind the scene - and I still want the things to be done my way. I guess it is pretty true - I want to be the advisor behind the king. Can't remember what test it was, though..

I almost always take the Initiative.

"It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life." -- Sister Elizabeth Kenny

When I do not. I am encouraging others to do it themselves or perhaps giving someone an opportunity to look good in front of their Son / Daughter.

I apply dominance as needed for the specific situation and dial it back when there is no need.

Vorpalsun

Initiative. Things get done faster that way.

i pretty much always take the initiative too. other people may never do anything. i like to get things done. i can't sit around and wait for things to just happen, really they may never. better to be the leaderrr

I almost always take initiative. Waiting for others to figure things out or step up usually seems to take forever. I can either choose to be patient and end up wasting a lot of time or take initiative and organize a quality outcome. The decision seems obvious.

Originally Posted by openedskittles

I almost always take initiative. Waiting for others to figure things out or step up usually seems to take forever. I can either choose to be patient and end up wasting a lot of time or take initiative and organize a quality outcome. The decision seems obvious.

Haha, I expected no less from an ENTJ, that's why they call you The Executives, LOL. But I also totally agree, I'm the same way when it comes to initiative, I just wish other people took more initiative sometimes. Don't you ever get tired of having to start everything, or are you surrounded by other people like you?

It depends on the situation. For 75% of events (made up statistic to make a point), taking the initiative will give you the best outcome as you get to take control of the situation and this will likely give you the best outcome assuming the job isn't botched. For the other 25%, no amount of yelling and anger is going to sway the outcome so it's just wasting energy that could be better directed into another area.

So passion is important but it doesn't always get you your way. :)