Leadership is never defined by one grand moment. It's built in the quiet, unseen, ordinary moments—one small act at a time.
Picture a clear glass jar sitting on your desk. Next to it is a big bag of marbles.
Each marble represents a single act of significance: a moment when you chose to lead with intention, compassion, courage, or integrity. Not a big heroic act. Not a dramatic stand on a stage. Just a small choice that changed someone's day—or changed your own. That is the essence of significance in leadership.
Success vs. Significance: The Difference That Matters
We all want to succeed. Success is reaching your goals, improving your situation, and achieving something worthwhile. But success alone will never satisfy a leader's soul. This is what I discovered "Success without significance is empty." Success is about you. Significance is about others. Success improves your life. Significance impacts the lives of those around you. Success is a moment. Significance is a legacy. That's why the jar of marbles matters. It keeps you focused on impact, not applause.
Small Acts, Big Impact
Significant leaders don't wait for the "big moment. "They understand that leadership is built on consistent, intentional actions—what many would call "small things." Each marble you drop into the jar is an act such as:
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Being kind when it would have been easier to be frustrated
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Encouraging someone who's carrying a quiet burden
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Actively listening when everyone else seems too busy
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Showing appreciation for effort, not just performance
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Checking in on someone who needs a moment of grace
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Choosing patience in a moment that tests you
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Giving credit to the team
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Teaching instead of criticizing
These moments might feel small, but they are not small to the people you lead. Impact is often disguised as something ordinary.
The Secret: The Jar Never Fills
Here's the important part: your jar of marbles will never be full. A successful leader might fill a jar and put it on display. A significant leader empties it every day and starts again. Significance is not a milestone you reach—it's a practice you repeat. You don't get to lead today on yesterday's significance. You show up again. You make the next right choice. You offer the next marble. This is what separates leaders who are remembered for what they achieved from leaders who are remembered for how they made people feel.
Why the Small Acts Matter More Than Big Ones
Big acts may inspire, but small, consistent acts build trust and culture. Anyone can be impressive once. Significant leaders are consistent.
Small acts:
People might forget your big speech. But they never forget the way you treated them on an ordinary Tuesday.
Significance Is a Daily Discipline
Being significant is a choice. Every day.
It asks you to:
Every marble is a commitment to being better today than yesterday. Significant leaders don't chase titles or attention. They chase impact—and impact is built one act at a time.
Your Leadership Legacy Is Like The Marbles
One day, someone you led will remember something you did that changed them. A quiet moment of encouragement. A conversation you barely remember. A time you believed in them more than they believed in themselves. That was a marble. That was significance. Leadership legacies aren't built in big events. They're built in the small moments that shape how people see themselves.
Start With One Marble Today
Don't wait for a big chance to be significant. Look for a small one. Who can you encourage? Who can you thank? Who can you listen to? What small act can you deliver that makes someone's day better? Significant leadership isn't about changing the world overnight. It's about changing the moment in front of you. And if you do that enough times, you'll change the world around you—one marble at a time.
- Dean Crisp
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