Our Story: Leading Made Simple

This is the origin of Random Acts of Leadership and the “Leading Made Simple” method.

It was born from a single act of kindness and a lifelong belief that leadership happens one small action at a time, everyday leadership that anyone can practice.

Let me start with a simple act you already know how to do.

If I asked you to commit an act of kindness today, would you know what to do?

You would, wouldn’t you?

In going through your day with that intention, you would likely encounter many opportunities to be kind in word and deed.

Now ask yourself the same question about leadership. If I asked you to commit an act of leadership today, would you know where to start?

That one is harder. And it is the question I began working on in June of 2006.

Everyday Leadership: How the Idea Emerged

It began with a message my dad left for us after he passed. A newspaper clipping called “To Remember Me” by Robert Noel Test, a piece that has inspired countless reflections on kindness and legacy. The last line reads:

“If by chance you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all that I have asked, I will live forever.”

He had given us the perfect way to remember him, so at his memorial service we asked people to commit an act of kindness in his memory.

How Random Acts of Leadership Began

Over the next few months, I took on the practice of committing random acts of kindness. Then came the one on a plane. I did not know it at the time, but that is where Random Acts of Leadership was born.

It was a Friday out of New York. The weather was bad, we were already running late, and nobody on that plane was happy. The overhead bins were full. A man near the front was arguing with the flight attendant about checking his bag. He had expensive camera equipment in it and he was afraid it would get broken. Everyone was watching him and nobody was doing anything.

I understood why he would not let go of it. I had a bag in the bin with my suit in it and I did not want to check it either.

So I decided to remember my dad by committing an act of kindness. I stood up, took my own bag out of the bin, and handed it to the flight attendant.

She put his bag in its place and checked mine.

When I sat back down something happened that I didn’t expect. I noticed the mood on the plane had shifted. People started helping the flight attendants. They started helping each other. People were talking. There was laughing. My own grumpy mood had even improved.

What I Observed Got Me Thinking…

In that moment I started wondering: did I commit an act of kindness, or did I commit an act of leadership?

From there my question got even more specific: Could committing an act of leadership be as simple as committing an act of kindness?

And what’s the difference between the two?

The Insight That Changed How I See Leadership

I started to consider that perhaps committing an act of kindness is in and of itself an act of leadership.

On many occasions, while my motive was simply to be kind, my actions caused others to behave differently. I even observed them working together toward a common goal.

The common thread that transforms an act of kindness into an act of leadership is this: the commitment to making a difference.

And in committing an act of kindness, I was reminded that the “small stuff” really matters.

In other words, everyday leadership is the accumulation of simple, visible actions that invite others to participate and make a difference.

I believe the same is true in leading – it’s the small stuff, the simple actions you take, the words you say to one person at a time every day that make the biggest difference of all.

So What Is the Difference?

I don’t want to leave you thinking kindness and leadership are the same thing. They are not.

The difference is your motivation. On that plane I only meant to be kind to one man. When your motivation is to make a difference beyond the moment you are in, that same act becomes an act of leadership.

That is also where the risk comes in. An act of kindness rarely asks you to challenge anything. Making a difference beyond the moment can mean challenging the status quo, and that is when it takes courage.

Not courage on any grand scale. For some people, speaking up in front of five people around a table is an act of extraordinary courage. It is not about the magnitude of the act. It never was.

What makes it worth the risk is being clear about the difference you want to make. That clarity is where the courage comes from.

If you want to be a leader in any given moment, all it takes is a willingness to speak up, step up, or stand up for what matters. That is everyday leadership: simple, repeatable actions that create real impact. It may not always be easy, but it really can be that simple.

Dedication

My father, Jim Ernst, was a leader in everyday life. The world does not know who he is. He will not be named in any history books. Yet for the people whose lives he touched the history books do not matter. It was his actions both big and small that did.

He taught me that the purpose of life was to make the biggest difference you could make in whatever you do.

Random Acts of Leadership, in all of its expressions, is dedicated to his memory. It is my wish that when I close my eyes for the last time that I will be able to honestly say I made the biggest difference I could make.

I thank him for guiding me to explore the many ways we can simplify leadership by building the essential bridges between the theory of leadership and leadership in action.

I invite and welcome your comments, questions and feedback. If you would like to reach me directly please e-mail Susan at RandomActsofleadership dot com.

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