I recently subscribed to The New York Times. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and more intentional about knowing what’s happening in the world. Or maybe it’s because they were running a really good deal for a yearlong subscription. Either way, I found myself doing something I haven’t done in years, actually reading the newspaper.
It brought me right back to my childhood, when the Waterloo Courier, our local paper, showed up at our house. I can still hear the sound the paper made when my mom and dad opened it, remember the smudgy ink on their fingers, and the swishing noise as they swapped sections. All these years later, I was doing the same thing, just without the paper and ink, scrolling instead of flipping pages.
As I wandered through the different sections, one stopped me in my tracks.
Leadership
The obituaries.
Nothing will humble you faster than thinking about life and death. As I scrolled through, most were notable people. Scientists. Leaders. Contributors to the world. One headline stood out to me.
Pedro Sanchez, who helped feed the developing world, dies at 85.
He was a soil scientist who partnered with the United Nations and other organizations to bring productive agricultural practices to land that didn’t want to cooperate. His work helped increase crop yields in some of the poorest regions of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, places where subsistence farmers watched their children go to bed hungry.
Reading that, I couldn’t help but think about how many people are quietly creating impact in the world. Innovating. Building. Contributing. Creating what I’d call a good ripple effect, often without recognition, spotlight, or applause.
That’s my leadership thought this week.
Leadership isn’t always loud or flashy or tied to a title. Sometimes it’s deeply technical. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s simply staying committed to work that matters, even when progress isn’t immediate.
And when the world feels heavy or fractured, it helps to remember this. There are still people dedicating their lives to making things better. Through science. Through service. Through leadership that shows up day after day.
Better leaders don’t just ask, “What do I do?”
They ask, “What am I contributing?”
Life
I think this extends far beyond leadership roles and organizations.
Contribution shows up in everyday life too.
Being a good neighbor. Being patient with the cashier who’s clearly having a long day. Choosing kindness in the grocery store, even when someone else isn’t exactly giving off warm vibes.
Those moments matter more than we think. And honestly, there’s always a part in each obituary that says someone will be remembered as something. It makes you pause and wonder what words might fill in that blank.
Life is short. We all have skills, gifts, and talents. Some big. Some quiet. Some we might even take for granted. And while we can’t fix everything that feels broken in the world, we can decide how we show up in the spaces we touch.
Sometimes the ripple effect starts smaller than we expect. And sometimes it travels farther than we’ll ever know.
Before I forget, one more thing about leadership.
There’s a collective nature to leadership. Learning, shared language, and borrowed tools can accelerate growth in ways we don’t always expect.
That’s why I created a small set of leadership tools for this time of year and wanted to share them with you.
Inside the January Leadership Toolkit, you’ll find practical tools designed for real leadership moments.
A leader and team reflection to help you see the year ahead from more than one perspective.
The “What’s the Weather?” leadership presence tool to assess how your team may be experiencing you right now.
A New Year priority tool to turn big goals into focused, doable actions and outcomes.
If you’re leading people and January feels both light and heavy, you’re not alone. Leadership isn’t meant to be a solo sport. It works best when we share tools, borrow language, and support each other along the way.
If this sounds helpful, feel free to grab the January toolkit and use what fits. And if you know another leader who might benefit, pass it along. That’s how the ripple effect actually grows.
Thanks for being here this week. I’ll see you next time.
Have Good Ripple Effect,
Lisa