Initiative (By Elbert Hubbard)

The world bestows its big prizes, both in money and honours, for but one thing. And that is Initiative. What is Initiative? It is doing the right thing without being told.

But next to doing the thing without being told is to do it when you are told once. That is to say, “carry the Message to Garcia.” Those who can carry a message get high honours, but their pay is not always in proportion.

Next, there are those who never do a thing until they are told twice: such get no honours and small pay.

Next, there are those who do the right thing only when necessity kicks them from behind, and these get indifference instead of honours, and a pittance for pay. This kind spends most of its time polishing a bench with a hard-luck story.

Then, still lower down in the scale than this, we have the fellow who will not do the right thing even when someone goes along to show him how and stays to see that he does it: he is always out of a job, and receives the contempt he deserves.

To which class do you belong?”