Watch this video first to accentuate this post “I’d do anything to work here. Anything?”

I watched this great movie, My Week with Marilyn, the other day, and it got me thinking about an essay I wrote many years ago after reading Elbert Hubbard’s short story, A Message to Garcia. Once you watch the movie, Initiative, I hope you have the same humorous correlation I had between the historical background of Hubbard’s essay and a particular scene in the film. It’s hard not to draw a parallel between the simple but profound action in Hubbard’s work and the attitude of Eddie Redmayne’s character in the film.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, the essay has been reprinted, translated countless times, and inspired screen adaptations. It was even given to every U.S. Navy enlistee and U.S. Marine in both World Wars. But what really matters is the essence: knowing how to get something done—no excuses.

Back in 1996, a friend gave me the book A Message to Garcia, which I read on a trip to our office in Charlotte. Hubbard, an American author known for his belief in rugged individualism, wrote this essay back in 1899. His philosophy, with its emphasis on action and personal responsibility, resonated with me then and still does today.

Hubbard’s essay became a revelation for me. It hit me right between the eyes—there’s a certain type of person who just knows how to get things done. Some people hesitate, procrastinate, or ask too many questions; others just take action. And I realized then: I wanted to be the guy who did. The one who just got it done. The one who, when given a task, would do it without looking for excuses or complicated instructions.

Inspired by Hubbard’s insights, I was so moved that I wrote a brief narrative and had 1,000 copies made as a handout. It’s been a great tool over the years for sharing the importance of initiative and accountability in business and life.

So, to answer Hubbard’s timeless question, “To which class do you belong?” I’d like to take a detour and add: If you watched My Week with Marilyn, Eddie Redmayne’s character was spot on. When Sir Lawrence Olivier told him to get Noel Coward’s number, it wasn’t just about getting it—it was about how Eddie’s character instinctively knew how to do it. No hesitation. No second-guessing. He just knew what needed to be done and did it—immediately.

In the context of A Message to Garcia, that’s the essence of initiative. You get the job done without waiting for others to hand you the map or the instructions. You know what needs to be done, and you do it. No questions asked. It’s all about taking action, making things happen when others might sit back and overthink. Eddie didn’t just “get the number”; he delivered it, fast, no fuss. And that, my friends, is initiative in a nutshell.

Of course, just like Eddie Redmayne, there are times when it’s better to skip over the details and just do. After all, the faster you act, the faster you can sit back, relax, and take credit for it later. Just be sure to leave the questions about “how” and “why” for someone else—preferably someone who’s still figuring out how to get things done!

To read the essay click here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Message_to_Garcia_(film)