How Small Moments Shape Our Lives—and Careers
There are moments that matter in every journey -- your life included!
Throughout my career, I've often reflected on how seemingly minor experiences have dramatically shaped both my professional path and the lives of others. Research increasingly supports this idea: small moments can lead to profound and lasting change.
Keep reading below for a summary but also check out my full whitepaper (paywall).
The Butterfly Effect in Our Careers
Chaos theory introduces us to the Butterfly Effect—the concept that small, seemingly insignificant events can trigger vastly different outcomes. Edward Lorenz famously asked,
“Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?”
In business, this means the smallest action—a brief interaction at a conference, an impromptu coffee chat, or volunteering for a company event—can profoundly alter your career trajectory.
A personal example: at Bank of America, I took over two teams of skilled employees who lacked career opportunities and spotlight. By investing time to understand their aspirations and gently nudging them towards growth opportunities (hands-on training, leading Agile teams, etc.), small actions turned into career-changing impacts. Over time, these "nudges" built confidence, positioning team members to seize opportunities that aligned with their aspirations when the opportunities arose.
Embracing Serendipity in Professional Growth
Chance encounters significantly influence business innovation and personal career growth. Christian Busch identifies serendipity as “active luck”—a combination of unexpected events, insightful recognition, and decisive action. Many of us overlook these chance moments unless we’re intentionally open to them.
Serendipity is different than Chaos Theory because in the former, the individual is consciously detecting that an opportunity is happening and actively takes advantage of the chance encounter. In Chaos Theory, the individual makes a conscious change to the environment which has downstream effects. The real key is when you put them together. We can increase the chances of an opportunity occurring by consciously changing our environment by doing things like volunteering, offering to cover for a boss who's out, or joining employee networks at your company.
When I co-led GE's LGBTQ employee group, I was well-positioned to represent my colleagues in discussions with heads of HR for business units and even the GE enterprise. These encounters transformed into significant career and personal opportunities—not just for me but also for thousands of colleagues around the world. The connections formed through these engagements created professional opportunities and taught me skills around executive communications, negotiations, policy management that I use till this day.
The Ripple Effect: How We Influence Others
Our experiences don't just affect us—they ripple out to influence those around us. Research by Christakis and Fowler demonstrates that personal changes, such as adopting healthier behaviors or increasing happiness, can spread throughout our social networks. Similarly, professional environments can amplify small positive interactions across entire teams or departments.
A powerful and simple thing you can do today as a leader is to show up every morning with a positive attitude. Say hello in person or over instant messenger to your teammates and employees, even if you don't have anything pressing that you need to tell them. Forge a relationship through simple interactions that make them feel important and seen as a real person. These simple things create a connection that transcends your current work relationship and can be beneficial down the road when you change roles, departments, or even companies.
As a manager, I do these things today. As I was preparing to leave Bank of America and transition into my current role at Nationwide, I was shocked at how many current and former employees reached out to say how much of an impact I had on their lives. Whether an encouraging one-on-one led to the confidence to apply for a new role, or a quick connection to one of my other colleagues set them down a career-growth path, they took the time to let me know how I personally changed their lives for the better. Wow!
Cultivating Opportunities and Managing Luck
Statistically, success often hinges on a combination of skill and random luck. An Italian simulation study showed that those who achieved high levels of success often had moderate talent but experienced significant luck. This finding aligns with my own career path, where moments of perceived stagnation later revealed themselves as essential periods of personal growth and connection building.
One of my favorite songs, Clay Walker’s “Chain of Love,” beautifully illustrates how small acts of kindness lead to significant, cascading positive outcomes. In business, too, cultivating an environment where kindness and generosity are practiced can significantly impact employee morale, productivity, and retention.
Creating Impactful Experiences
Leaders have a unique opportunity—and responsibility—to create and nurture environments that maximize positive ripple effects. Whether through structured mentorship programs, fostering inclusive teams, or simply showing empathy, intentional actions can lead to significant, measurable impacts on employees’ lives.
When I reflect on my path, I see clearly now that every seemingly minor choice—from joining employee groups to initiating a coffee chat—contributed to the rich tapestry of my professional life. These moments also profoundly impacted those around me, creating environments where everyone had the opportunity to flourish.
As Steve Jobs famously said in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech,
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.”
By embracing serendipity, engaging empathetically, and appreciating the potential impact of small moments, we can shape our futures—and the futures of others—in profoundly positive ways.