Two of my colleagues recently shared the Ted Talk linked below on leadership.  The video is only around six minutes and definitely worth watching.  However, let me summarize it for you,

Drew Dudley is the speaker and made his presentation at Tedx Toronto 2010.  The key theme is that leadership is not found most commonly in the big things, but is more often seen in the small moments that can have a lasting impact.  Leadership is lived through daily, consistent, heartfelt influence that you have on others.  And, it is not necessarily limited to those we consider “in charge.”

Drew speaks of a time when a young lady he did not know came up to him and told him that he had completely changed her life.  He was puzzled and asked her how.  She related that when she first came to college, she was very apprehensive.  So much so that she wanted to go home even before her parents helped her unpack and left to return home.  They told her that they would honor her wishes and if, on the next day of registration for classes, she did not feel it was right, they would bring her back home. 

Well, she was in one of those long lines to register for classes and had decided that she could not do it.  She was within seconds of leaving the line and telling her parents she wanted to return home with them when this guy came up to her and said hello.  He had a bucket of lollipops in his hand and handed one to the guy next to her in line.  He told the guy to give the lollipop to the girl.  He did and she accepted it.  Drew then said to her parents standing next to her in the line, “Look at that!  First day away from home and she is already taking candy from a stranger!”  The girl told him that at that moment, she realized that there were people there that cared about her and that she would be OK.  She changed her mind and decided to stay in college.  She did, got her degree, and became a success.  She told Drew that that single, simple “lollipop moment” where he was just trying to make a difference in someone’s day made all the difference in her life.

Drew says he doesn’t even remember that moment.  He came to realize it that it is the everyday things that make a difference.  Drew goes on to say that we need to be intentional in creating those small, simple lollipop moments.  We never know when they might occur and who might be impacted, but striving each day to positively impact the lives of others can mean all the difference to them.

Take a look at the video to see for yourself.  You could possible change the life of someone today.  By being intentional, you are demonstrating leadership in a small, but hugely important way.  Striving to create a “lollipop moment” every day can impact the lives of 350 people in just one year.  And, if we can get 100 people doing this, we could create over 25,000 such impactful moments in our workplace every years.  Lollipop moments are examples of leading by example.  How about you?  Will you give it a try?

Thanks for your commitment and dedication to others!  It is great being on this journey with you!  Have a fabulous day!

https://www.ted.com/talks/drew_dudley_everyday_leadership?language=en