I am deeply motivated by putting my mark into the world I live in, by leaving something behind. I find coaching and teaching through trainings are the best way for me to do this. If by interacting with me a person changes something in who they are, this has consequences on how they think and act. Changing their behavior will also influence everybody they interact with. So, the people in their lives might also be touched by this change and they will propagate it to those around them and so on. This way, my influence will propel like ripples in a pond.
Irvin D. Yalom said in his book Starring at the Sun:
the effect we have on other people is in turn passed on to others, much as the ripples in a pond go on and on until they’re no longer visible but continuing at a nano level. (…) Rippling, as I use it, refers instead to leaving behind something from your life experience; some trait; some piece of wisdom, guidance, virtue, comfort that passes on to others, known or unknown.
Coaching and training are my way of increasing the ripples I leave behind. For a scientist the ripples are his discoveries; for a novelist his books; for a teacher the influence she has on her students. For me the ripples are my coaching and training.
I know that by working with leaders my impact will be even more important as leaders can have a greater impact on those around them. We have an innate bias to follow authority and comply to its requirements and I believe a good leader, someone to admire and trust can go a long way into influencing a person’s life
To the leaders out there – let’s make ripples together!