Just Do It!

Few marketing campaigns have stood the test of time like Nike’s famous slogan: “Just Do It.” Three simple words have inspired athletes around the world to stop overthinking, push through fear, and take action.

But the slogan was never really about shoes.

It was about preparation.

Elite athletes don’t wait until game day to decide what they’re going to do. They spend thousands of hours training so that when the moment arrives, they don’t have to think—they simply react. A shortstop doesn’t pause to calculate the trajectory of a ground ball. A quarterback doesn’t stop to analyze every option after the ball is snapped. A gymnast doesn’t think through each movement while flying through the air.

They have prepared so thoroughly that decisive action has become instinctive.

The same principle applies in business.

One of the greatest differentiators between average employees and future leaders is initiative. Leaders don’t wait to be told what to do. They see what needs to be done and they do it. They identify problems before they become crises. They look for ways to improve a process instead of working around it. They volunteer when others hesitate or hide.

Initiative isn’t recklessness. It isn’t ignoring authority or acting outside your responsibilities.

It’s taking ownership.

Early in my career, I noticed that the people who advanced the fastest weren’t necessarily the smartest people in the room. They were the people who made life easier for everyone around them. 

When something needed attention, they handled it. When customers had questions, they found answers. When a teammate struggled, they stepped in to help.

They became indispensable because they acted without waiting for permission to contribute.

Working “in the field”—over a thousand miles away from the office—I had to make decisions or projects would stall or die. I couldn’t call back to the office for permission. I had learned from qualified leaders, rehearsed what to do when situations arose, and was prepared to make decisions within my limits of authority. We could always adjust if a decision was wrong, but waiting was riskier than acting.

Unfortunately, many employees develop the opposite habit. They wait.

They wait for instructions.

They wait for approval.

They wait for someone else to solve the problem.

They wait until their supervisor notices something that should have been obvious.

The result is that every small decision flows upward.

If the leader has to make every decision—no matter how small—then what value are you adding?

That may sound harsh, but it’s an important question every professional should ask themselves.

Managers aren’t hired because they enjoy making hundreds of minor decisions every day. They’re hired to think strategically, develop people, build culture, and solve the organization’s biggest challenges. 

Every unnecessary decision that reaches their desk steals time from the work only they can do.

Great employees create capacity for their leaders.

They remove problems instead of creating them.

They bring solutions instead of merely identifying issues.

They make informed decisions within the authority they’ve been given and communicate appropriately afterward.

That doesn’t mean you’ll always be right.

No one is.

Initiative requires judgment, and judgment is developed through experience. Occasionally you’ll make a decision that, in hindsight, could have been better. That’s okay. A leader can coach good intentions and thoughtful decisions far more easily than they can coach someone who refuses to act.

I’d rather coach initiative than apathy every single time.

If you’re unsure whether to act, ask yourself three simple questions:

● Is this consistent with our organization’s values?

● Will this help our customer, teammate, or mission?

● If my supervisor were standing beside me, would they likely support this decision?

If the answer is “yes” to all three, chances are you’re moving in the right direction.

Nike’s slogan has endured because it captures an essential truth: success belongs to people who are prepared to act.

The workplace is no different.

Study your business. Learn your craft. Understand your organization’s goals. Develop good judgment. Then, when opportunity appears—or a problem needs solving—don’t stand around waiting for someone else.

Take ownership.

Show initiative.

And…

Just do it.