Darren Hardy, author of The Compound Effect, has a great formula for making big changes; apply little things consistently over time. Think about how often that is true. Like the small rudder underneath the water line controlling a massive ocean liner, the little things applied consistently can make a massive difference.
Here is one such example that I came across: Did you know that when park rangers re-introduced wolves into Yellowstone National Park it changed the entire ecosystem of the park? More than that, it changed the physical geography. It literally changed how the rivers moved throughout the park. I learned this from the greatest scorer in the history of NAIA college basketball. Random, right? Phillip Hutcheson scored more than 4,000 points in his college basketball career. Now, Phillip Hutcheson is the Director of Athletics at Lipscomb University. I had a chance to take part in a leadership Q&A with Phillip and it was jam-packed with awesome insights. Despite his insane scoring prowess, 6’7” frame, and enormous hands, Phillip is very low-key. However, his leadership insights were pure gold. He was asked what is one of the most important things that a leader does. He needed no time to think about his response and he said, ‘Create an atmosphere where people can do their best work.’ Phillip then told us about the wolves that changed the rivers of Yellowstone National Park. You can watch the 4-minute video here.
His point: the little things a leader does change the atmosphere for the followers. Wolves, because of very small things like movement patterns, instincts, and habits, change entire rivers. And leaders because very small things can change the atmosphere of the team, department, division, or organization. I’ve thought a lot about those little things that a leader can do to positively change the work atmosphere.
Here are seven little things that a leader can do to have a positive impact on the atmosphere…
How you greet people: The use of absolutes is a dangerous thing. You should never say ‘never’ or ‘always’, BUT I am going to violate that here. Never skimp on an enthusiastic greeting of others. Smile, push your eyebrows up, use their name, and say ‘good morning’, or ‘hello’. My father is mildly mocked for his double greetings such as, ‘Good morning, good morning!’ It’s a tad obnoxious, but you never doubt his enthusiasm when he greets you. How you greet people is a little thing that matters.
‘What can I do for you?': Ask this question a lot. Ask your supervisor for opportunities to lighten their load. Ask the people you supervise to show them your willingness to roll up your sleeves and work with them. I have found that people rarely have something for you to do when you ask. But, they know they can come back and ask you to help with something. And they will. Asking people what you can do for them is a little thing that matters.
Get back to people. Fast. I know, we are all overwhelmed by our inboxes and text messages. I’ve read some articles that claim the ‘reply within one business day’ is outdated, and other articles that say you don’t even need to reply. I disagree. I think you need to get back to people and fast. But, I think you need to know who to get back to and how to get back to them. Here are my suggestions: 1) Get back to your spouse and children immediately or ASAP. 2) Get back to your supervisor and direct reports ASAP. 3) Get back to other stakeholders in and around your community within 24 hours. 4) If you can’t get back to people, fast, tell them. A simple, ‘I am going to need some time to get back to you’ usually does the trick. Getting back to people fast is a little thing that matters.
Thank people for their patience. There will be times when you just can’t get back to people fast. It was most assuredly because you were actually that busy. If that is the case, do not apologize. It sends the message that you messed something up when you did not. Instead, thank people for their patience. Expressing gratitude always sets a tone for effective communication even if the communication had to be delayed longer than you would have preferred. Thanking people for their patience is a little thing that matters.
Express gratitude to people specifically. One of the greatest leadership stories of all time is found in the book of Nehemiah in the Bible. You can read it for yourself, but there is a great chapter in the book of Nehemiah where the writer goes through the boring, laborious process of describing who did what in a great building project. But, it is not boring and laborious, it is incredible leadership. Thanking people is nice. Thanking people by their name and by describing what task they performed is a little thing that matters a lot more than just being nice.
Obsessive preparation. I was recently sitting in a leadership meeting listening to Dr. Ed Young speak on a variety of topics. Dr. Young has spent 40+ years pastoring Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. When he arrived in 1978, the church had 300 members. It now has 90,000. You read that correctly. Dr. Young knows a thing or two about bringing people together and creating a healthy atmosphere. During the session, he said that anyone who finds teaching/preaching easy is probably very bad at it. His point was that preparation is painful and very hard work. Doing it well is anything but easy. And it is the only way to teach and preach. I think that kind of obsessive preparation is a non-negotiable for a leader in a lot of ways. Showing people you respect the opportunity to lead them by being obsessively prepared is a little thing that matters.
How you apologize. This is the most challenging little thing that makes a massive difference in the atmosphere. A leader can turn a lousy leadership moment into a good atmospheric moment by humbling themselves and asking for forgiveness when they have messed up. Stephen M. Covey, in his book, The SPEED of Trust, calls this the leaders’ responsibility to right wrongs. How and if you apologize is a little thing that matters.
There are a lot of little things that add up to make a big difference. What other little things would you add to your list? If wolves can change the entire geography of Yellowstone National Park by accident, imagine the changes you can make on purpose!
Keep on, keepin’ on, friends!
*Bonus content: Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper on this topic: ‘Hand Me Another Brick’ by Charles Swindoll, ‘The SPEED of Trust by Stephen M. Covey, ‘The Conviction to Lead by Dr. Al Mohler
‘Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on being intentional about life in a way that produces great persistence. Read about it more here.
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