Why Most Leaders Never Hear About the Impact They're Making

"A big part of your message was to let people know the ripple effects they've had on your life. I wanted to make sure you knew how this was rippling through ours."

I wasn't expecting that.

A week earlier, Danny Aupperle, a client-turned-friend who hired me to speak at their annual leadership summit last year, sent me a DM on LinkedIn:

"Something I’ve committed to for the new year is nurturing my connections. Would love to connect sometime soon and share what we’re working on."

Funny timing because my word of the year is "relationships" so this was music to my ears.

We hopped on a Zoom. I was expecting a typical catch-up.

What I didn't know was that Danny was about to walk me through what had happened following the event I spoke at 6 months earlier.

The change management team watched the recorded keynote together. Then discussed how the message applied to their work.

The ERGs did the same. They watched the recording and started sharing their own stories with each other.

Danny took the message and lived it.

Then looped back to tell me.

Most of the time, we never hear this.

The impact we have moves through people, teams, and conversations we'll never see. It ripples into rooms we'll never enter.

Danny just happened to close the loop.

Most people don't.

Be like Danny!

Here’s what Danny reminded me of:

You control less than you’d like, but you influence more than you realize. The ripple effects of your leadership are already out there. They’re moving through people, teams, and conversations you'll never be part of. Shaping outcomes you'll never see.

There’s nothing you can really do about that, other than make sure you take the time to close the loop for other people.

This is at the heart of Ripple Effect Leadership. One of the most powerful things you can do as a leader, a colleague, a human, is let someone know the ripple they've created in your life.

Danny did that for me.

Who could you do that for?

—

Chris Rollins - Keynote speaker helping leaders eliminate Invisible Friction™. Inspiring leaders to act with intention in a world craving trust and connection. Specializing in leadership, teamwork, and creating inclusive, human-centered workplaces. Start a ripple that drives lasting impact today.