Small Acts, Big Impact: The Ripple Effect in Leadership

Leadership isn’t always about standing at the front of the room, giving speeches, or leading big projects. More often, it’s something quieter. Something smaller. Something that feels like no big deal at the time—but ends up meaning everything.

Not long ago, I was part of a workshop where we focused on community service at our Maps Team-Building event. It started with something simple: helping serve lunch to local kids through our summer food service program, Lunch Brunch.

Maybe to some, it felt like handing out hot dogs and playing games. But it was so much more than that.

For many of those kids, lunch might be the one predictable, stable part of their day—a warm meal, a safe space, a smile. When you’re the person handing out food with a genuine, “How’s it going?” or “Have a great day,” it can stick with someone far longer than you realize.

You start a ripple.

And I know what that feels like—because I’ve been on the receiving end of it.

The summer before my fifth-grade year, I went to a basketball camp as a new student. I didn’t know anyone. Everyone already had their cliques, their teams, their people. I remember standing off to the side with my dad, clutching a water bottle, unsure of what to do. I felt awkward, invisible, and honestly alone.

Then something unexpected happened.

A girl I didn’t know walked up to me and said, “Hey, wanna warm up together?”

That’s it. No grand gesture. No big scene. Just a simple question.

But to me, it meant everything. It changed the course of my entire day. We partnered for drills. We laughed. And by the end of camp, I felt like I had a place. Like I belonged.

That girl probably doesn’t remember that moment. But I do. And years later, I’m still thinking about how one small act made such a huge impact.

That’s the thing about leadership: it doesn’t always look like a title or a spotlight. Sometimes, it looks small. An open seat. A kind word. An invitation to warm up.

Small acts of kindness, awareness, and inclusion ripple further than we think. You never know how far one simple gesture will travel—or how deeply it will land.

Here’s my challenge to you:

Choose three small acts of kindness this week and actually do them.

Not someday. Not when it’s convenient. This week.

Send that text. Offer that seat. Check in on that quiet classmate. Celebrate someone’s success. Smile at a stranger.

Because the kind of world we all want to live in—the one where people feel seen, valued, and welcomed—starts with small acts of leadership. It starts with people like you.

So go ahead. Be the ripple. Start something small.

And just watch how far it goes.

Izzy Benne, signing off.