take the initiative

释义：“采取主动”，后接未经他人指示而自主进行的活动或承担的职责，常在留学文书中用来体现求知欲和领导力。

例句：
We both have a tendency to wait for the other person to take the initiative with some of the bigger decisions.
I couldn't watch TV anymore and took the initiative to volunteer at Chelsea Piers, the Jacob Javits Center, and at the Ground Zero site.