WHEN LITTLE EFFORTS MATTER

 

I was thinking this morning… I recently flew between two local airports and something small I noticed on the tarmac has stayed with me.

We had boarded, the doors were shut, and the aircraft was pulling away from the gate. Sitting by the window, I watched the ground movement outside. Not far from the gate, I noticed a crushed plastic water bottle lying on the airside—probably flattened by the wheels of a luggage cart. It was insignificant. Honestly, I didn’t think it could cause any harm.

Then I saw something that made me pause. The aircraft marshaller walking ahead of the aircraft noticed the bottle. He stopped, picked it up, slipped it into his pocket, and continued on his way, likely to dispose of it properly later. Keeping the airside clean wasn’t his job. But he clearly understood something deeper—that one person’s neglect, however small, can affect everyone. That moment stayed with me.

I recalled how similar scenarios occur all the time back at the office. Chairs left out in walkways, blocking clear paths in the open office. Sometimes, as I walk past, I push them back under the desks. Other times, I just walk on, and do nothing.

And that’s when it hits me. Leadership isn’t really about titles or what we do when people are watching. It shows up in the small, quiet choices we make—especially when no one is paying attention. A good leader does what’s expected within their role. A great leader goes a step further and serves the team in ways that don’t come with recognition or applause.

As we continue to unveil 2026, I’m reminding myself of this: don’t wait for a position before you act. Don’t wait to be asked before you serve. Just do the right thing, even when it seems small. As the Nigerian proverb says, “Pikin wey go strong go strong… no be until dem name am Samson.” Don’t wait to be called a leader. Be a leader. Strength shows up long before the title does. SOS 2:15 comes to mind.

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey