Taking initiative pays off.  

It's hard to visualize someone as a leader if she's always waiting to be told what to do.

take initiative(n.)

If you act responsibility and show that you have initiative, you will sooner or later be promoted.

You'll have to use your initiative.

Why don't you take the initiative and ask her out.

to seize/lose the initiative

I think we outhgt to take the initiative.

Parents take the initiative by asking open-ended questions.

I don't think the government is likely to support such a private initiative.

I took initiative, and I chose to rise above it.

You know, when I was talking about initiative, I meant like showing up for work early.

pays off

study is necessarily difficult, but it pays off.

I knew those action classes would pay off.

And we'll pay off your giant bar tab?

...so that he could pay off some debts?

payoff (n.)

You're not gonna regret it. The payoff is huge.

visualize (v.)

visualize A as B             

Try to visualize him as an old man.

I visualized him as a typical businessman.