The Small Moments of Leadership: How Everyday Interactions Change Lives

Back when I was a youngish paramedic, I was summoned to a local high school for an overdose. It was a 16-year-old girl who had taken an entire jar of sleeping pills. I gave her an emetic (the kind that makes you throw up violently), and we settled in for the 15-minute ride to the hospital.

On that journey, I said a lot of things to her that I honestly don’t remember — all attempts to get her to engage and talk. Nothing. No response. Not a word.

I remember the frustration: I was supposed to be making a difference — supposed to be changing the world — and it wasn’t working out the way I thought it would. As the emetic finally kicked in, she was throwing up her shoelaces as we pulled into the hospital bay. I left feeling like I had failed, convinced she would become another painful reminder of how hard and unfair this world can be.

Five Years Later — A Phone Call I Will Never Forget

Fast forward five years. I’m at work and get called to the phone — and it’s a college graduate. About to begin a career in law enforcement. Happily engaged to the love of her life.

She had tracked me down to say thank you.

It was emotional. We both cried (I was doing it in the most manly way possible). We thanked each other, babbled, and eventually calmed enough for me to ask what made the difference.

She said two things:

1. She felt my passion and that I really cared about her.

2. I challenged her to be better — told her she had gifts she hadn’t discovered yet, and encouraged her to use them to change someone else’s life.

Two small things. And yet — magic happened.

Leadership Happens in the Small Moments

You see, leadership isn’t only about the big things:

• A new vision

• A groundbreaking idea

• The next major initiative

The real truth is this: Leadership changes lives in the small moments.

It’s in the willingness to plant seeds of success — over and over and over again — often without knowing whether they’re taking root.

It’s in:

• Daily one-on-ones, both formal and informal

• Showing you care

• Asking meaningful questions

• Listening with intention

• Challenging your people to be better

• Growing your team moment by moment

It’s in the small moments that magic happens.

A Challenge for Leaders Today

So I’m challenging you today:

• Take a step back and look at where you are.

• Rebuild or repair a relationship — or start a new one.

• Use the small moments to make your team better than they are.

• Refresh, renew, and rediscover your passion for who you are and the difference you can make.

Because leadership — real leadership — is found in the moments that often go unnoticed.

Strong leadership grows through intentional moments of connection. Explore how LIA Training helps leaders strengthen relationships and build meaningful influence.