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(A 100-prompt system designed to steer you through high-stakes moments with absolute confidence using AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude.)
Late last week, I was talking to a friend who asked me about key turning points in my career.
I thought for a second and said,
“I started touching stuff.”
I said it to be provocative — and his face showed it worked.
But seriously, the truth behind it is simple:
One of the biggest inflection points in my career came from taking initiative on a project I wasn’t asked to touch.
Nobody assigned it.
Nobody hinted it needed fixing.
Nobody invited me into the conversation.
But I saw something that wasn’t working.
And instead of just noticing it, I stepped toward it.
So I redesigned the process, mapped out two alternative options, and presented a simple, thoughtful solution.
And here’s the thing:
It didn’t get adopted.
Not the proposal, not the visualization, not the process redesign.
If you’re measuring success by outcomes,
that story ends right there.
But if you’re measuring success by behavior, that story was just starting.
We are what we repeatedly do.
I walked away thinking,“ Well, that went nowhere.”
But here’s the part I couldn’t see yet:
That one act of initiative didn’t just trigger something in me. It triggered something in other people.
Leaders remembered the way I approached it:
the clarity,
the thoughtfulness,
the willingness to act without being asked.
Weeks later, people I barely knew started approaching me:
“Can I get your thoughts on something?”
“You see things early, what’s your read here?”
“Would you partner with me on this project?”
That experience taught me something I use in every leadership and advisory role today:
The behavior you reward becomes the behavior that grows.
The behavior you ignore becomes the behavior that disappears.
Experts who understand this build cultures of initiative.
Experts who don’t end up carrying all the work themselves.
Gif by TempleOfGeek on Giphy
Here’s the structure I wish I had earlier in my career.
1. Reward Initiative Before Certainty
People rarely take initiative because they fear being wrong in public.
When someone brings you an idea, a rough draft, or a partially formed insight:
Praise the behavior of stepping forward, not the accuracy of the idea.
Say things like:
“I appreciate you surfacing this early.”
“Thank you for moving before being asked.”
“Let’s explore this direction. The initiative itself matters.”
This creates psychological permission for healthy risk-taking.
Initiative spreads when it’s safe, not when it’s perfect.
2. Reward Visible Thinking, Not Hidden Perfection
Experts often hide their thinking until it’s polished.
But leaders need visibility into how their people reason, not just what they produce.
When someone shares their process, even if it’s messy:
Reward the clarity, not the completeness.
Try:
“Walk me through how you’re seeing this. That’s the part that helps us move faster.”
You’re signaling:
Thinking is valuable even before it's refined.
That’s how expertise deepens across a team.
3. Reward Consistent Micro-Movements, Not Heroic Sprints
Burnout happens when the only behavior you reward is “big outcomes under pressure.”
But growth and influence come from consistent, small moves:
asking better questions
running early tests
documenting assumptions
offering options instead of problems
When you spotlight micro-movements, your team learns that progress beats intensity, and sustainable effort beats desperation.
This is how you create momentum cultures instead of burnout cultures.
If you want more leaders around you, reward the behaviors leaders must master, not just the accomplishments that make them visible.
LEVEL UP
AI Prompt: Your Behavioral-Influence Advisor
Copy, paste, and complete this in your favorite LLM:
Act as my behavioral-influence advisor. I’ll describe a situation with a colleague or direct report.
Identify:
- the behavior underneath the action
- how my reaction may reinforce or discourage future initiative
- one specific phrase I can use to reward the right behavior
- a micro-habit I can model to make that behavior more common across the team
- a long-term influence strategy that strengthens ownership and judgment.
POLL
What’s harder for you right now?
CURATED ROUNDUP
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It Comes Down to This
Reward initiative → you get ownership.
Reward clarity → you get better decisions.
Reward micro-movements → you get sustainable progress.
Accomplishments matter.
But behavior builds influence.
And if you want your team, or your career, to rise faster, start rewarding the right things.
Thanks for reading. Be easy!
Girvin
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