Ripples

So you’re building something that’s going to be really successful. Customers will be happy, and your employees will find purpose and make a living.

What’s beyond that?

The recent Artemis II mission got me thinking about perspectives which are much, much larger than I usually ponder. In the case of business leadership, this includes ripples you might be generating which extend far beyond your current business plan and even your lifetime.

So let’s think about that for a moment.

What difference will your organization have made in 100 years, or 500 years? It’s hard to imagine. But it’s quite possible that your customers or beneficiaries will have been able to solve problems that couldn’t have happened without you.

Lives will have been improved, especially for employees and families. Customers will have been made happier for just that one day, pushing them to be just a little more optimistic and courageous than they would have been without you.

That particular ripple turned into a family story which lasted for four generations. And you never knew about it.

Because that employee loved their job and your leadership, that led them to buy a house where they could raise a happy family. You gave them the courage to do that, even though you had no idea.

When I look back through the small ripples which influenced my life and even created large waves, I find a huge number of people, organizations and actions in my family, jobs, and other people I’ve associated with. Including people I never met, living generations before me.

Just some little ripples. But they matter.