What makes someone take the risk and become an entrepreneur? Why would any individual leave a comfortable life and risk his or her savings on a dream? What makes an individual willing to do the impossible? Why would someone risk national failure by performing in front of millions of people hoping for that exclusive recording contract?

After coaching numerous entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners, I have discovered one characteristic that they have in common -- initiative . They consistently use initiative to overcome the obstacles of life. And what is even more important, these individuals have infused initiative into their own interpersonal skill sets. They truly understand that "Whatever is to be, is up to me."

Initiative begins in our early childhood. As children, we are curious about our environment and take every opportunity to explore and feel the world around us. Tapping into that childhood curiosity generates the foundation for initiative action capacity.

Unfortunately, initiative due to constraints of society as well as every day conditioning, can be permanently damaged. We quickly learn not to "push the envelope" and not to "draw outside the lines." Taking initiative presents issues for others because they may not know how to respond or the outcomes may not be their "right answer." Even as adults, initiative continues to present challenges because we want to "fit in" and don