The 30 Second Leader
Leaders underestimate their influence. Broadly.
And overestimate the time needed.
- When a frustrated leader was ranting about a (big) dropped ball, a peer said, “I think everyone’s doing their best.”
15 second intervention. Course corrected. - Tech disaster before a big presentation: a senior leader asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
30 seconds of support = lasting impact.
We shared these examples with a group of clients last week, and Becka Ellis offered a brilliant hack:
I set reminders for birthdays, anniversaries, and other meaningful dates – the happy ones and the hard ones. I make them recur annually because my memory is terrible. Then, when the day comes, I send a quick message like:
• “Happy anniversary!”
• “Hey, today’s the last day of your challenge – how are you feeling?”
• “Thinking of you today and sending love.”
What are your hacks?
