Latest / The Humanistic Leader Podcast- Dr. Craig Nathanson / Small Acts, Giant Impact

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Small Acts, Giant Impact · The Humanistic Leader Podcast- Dr. Craig Nathanson

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  Welcome to the Humanistic Leader Podcast. This is Dr.
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  Craig Nathanson, and in today's short reflection, I want to invite you to slow
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  down for a few minutes and think more deeply about leadership,
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  life, work, and what it means to remain human in a rapidly changing world.
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  So today I want to talk about impact Many people underestimate the effect they
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  have on other human beings We often move through life assuming our actions are
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  small, temporary, or even unnoticed,
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  But often the opposite is true A conversation, a class, a moment of,
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  you know, encouragement A small kindness, a few sincere words Sometimes these
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  moments stay with another person for years,
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  One thing I continue learning as I get older Is that we rarely get to see our
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  full impact Sometimes people carry something we said for decades Without even telling us.
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  For example, a teacher may never know that they changed someone's confidence.
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  A coach may never realize how deeply belief mattered.
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  A parent may never fully understand how much emotional safety shaped a child.
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  A manager may never realize how one moment of compassion changed someone's direction.
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  And maybe that is simply part of being human.
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  You know, we leave these emotional fingerprints on each other's lives without fully realizing it.
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  For example, a few months ago I had an experience that reminded me of this I
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  may have mentioned this in a prior podcast After class, one of my students came
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  up to me Nothing unusual about that Students often stop to ask a question or say goodbye,
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  But this was different The student shook my hand and then kept holding it For,
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  you know, a few seconds and then a few more long enough that I realized something
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  meaningful was happening.
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  The student looked me in the eye and thanked me, not just for the class,
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  for the encouragement, for the conversations we had, for helping them believe they can move forward.
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  As I listened, I found myself surprisingly, you know, emotional.
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  Because from my perspective, I was just doing what teachers do,
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  Showing up You know Teaching, listening, encouraging Just trying to help,
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  But in that moment I was reminded that we Often have no idea how our actions,
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  Are really being experienced by someone else The impact we have On other people
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  is frequently Invisible,
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  At least for a while And sometimes forever.
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  I imagine many of us can think of someone who changed our life in a small but meaningful way.
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  Maybe it was a teacher who believed in you. Maybe it was a coach who saw potential
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  you couldn't see in yourself.
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  Maybe it was a friend who stayed when things were difficult.
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  Maybe it was a parent who made you feel safe. Maybe it was someone who simply listened.
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  Not because they had all the answers, but because they cared.
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  And what I find interesting is that many people think impact must be dramatic.
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  They think changing the world means becoming famous or powerful or wealthy,
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  somehow reaching millions of people.
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  But most of the meaningful impact I've experienced has happened quietly.
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  You know, one conversation, one classroom, one student, one family member,
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  one friend, just, you know, one simple act of kindness.
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  Not too long ago, I had a student come up to me after one of my classes,
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  and she told me that she was experiencing this problem.
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  You know, she wanted to drop out of school and transfer to a less expensive
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  school so she could pursue her passion, her dream.
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  One parent was supportive, and the other parent was, well, disappointed in her.
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  So she didn't know what to do. And so I just listened.
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  And I did say to her that at the end of the day, you know, she has to decide,
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  and listen to her inner voice what's most important to her, even if that means
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  disappointing someone else.
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  The next day she came to me with a huge smile on her face. She said,
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  it's as if, Professor, the, you know, the clouds had lifted.
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  And I decided even though I didn't want to disappoint one of my parents,
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  most important, I didn't want to disappoint myself.
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  So she made the decision to follow her inner voice and.
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  Her desires So the older I get, the more I believe that human beings grow through
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  these sorts of relationships,
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  And relationships are built, you know, one interaction at a time In today's
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  world where so much attention is focused on speed and technology and performance
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  and productivity I think many people are quietly hungry for something else.
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  Real connection, meaning, encouragement, dignity, the feeling that they matter.
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  Sometimes one caring human being changes another's personal emotional direction,
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  like in the story I just told you.
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  And, you know, and that matters. I also think this changes how we think about
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  leadership, about how we think about leading ourselves and others.
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  Remember that leadership is not only about results. It's not only about productivity.
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  It's not only about hitting targets Leadership is also about how people feel
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  around us You know, whether they grow around us Whether they become more confident
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  around us Whether they feel respected,
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  encouraged, and valued around us The humanistic leadership model teaches that
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  leadership begins with seeing the humanity in other people Not as resources, not as positions,
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  not as titles, but as human beings And when we do that, we often create impact
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  We may never fully understand So let's slow down a bit I'd like to invite you into a Short reflection.
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  Think now about someone who positively shaped your life.
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  Maybe it was a teacher, a mentor, a coach, a friend, a parent.
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  Someone whose influence is still with you today.
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  I want you to think about what did they do? What did they say?
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  How did they make you feel?
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  Now consider this. Have you ever told them? Have you ever let them know?
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  Many people never hear the full impact of their, I should say,
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  you know, many people never hear the full story of their impact.
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  Maybe today is a good day to change that. And now I'd like you to consider maybe a second question.
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  What if you are already that person for someone else? What if someone remembers
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  your kindness, your patience, your encouragement, your willingness to listen, your belief in them?
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  What if someone right now is
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  carrying a lesson from you Without your knowledge You may never fully know,
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  And you know, maybe that's okay Not every seed gets planted and harvested in
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  the same season Sometimes we plant seeds of confidence Seeds of courage, seeds of hope,
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  And years later, they continue growing in ways we never get to see.
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  So before we finish today I'd like to leave you with a simple challenge,
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  Within the next 24 hours Reach out to someone who positively influenced your
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  life Send a short message Make a phone call Write a note,
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  Tell them what their impact meant to you It may be one of the greatest gifts you can give them.
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  And if that isn't possible, then become that person for someone else.
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  Offer encouragement. Offer appreciation.
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  Offer belief.
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  Because you never know how far a few sincere words might travel.
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  And sometimes, the most important contributions we make are the ones we never fully get to see.
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  And maybe that is enough.
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  This is Dr. Craig Nathanson. And wherever you are on your journey,
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  remember to be your own best friend,
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  to learn to lead yourself before leading others, and keep becoming more human
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  in a rapidly changing world. Until next time.