The importance of smaller steps
Millions of extraordinary people are doing amazing
things, quietly putting in hard work to improve lives and make a real
difference in our world. And still more impressive is that these heroes are
anonymous and humble grassroot warriors. They are driven solely by passion, not
by hope or promises of fame or recognition. Their courage and optimism are an
inspiration for their generation.
These are the people making progress possible. Their
selfless spirit of social service imparts purity to the mission and helps
translate development policies into real ground action. They are using their
talents to fight poverty, hunger and disease and create opportunities for
future generations. The world is a better place because of what they do. What
shines through is their resilience, integrity, and depths of their empathy.
These tiny revolutions may not command great attention, but in merit, they may
equal or exceed the more significant and conspicuous actions of those with more
freedom and power. The test is what people do.
Social change flows from individual efforts. Many
revolutionary movements have sprung from smaller beginnings. A lot of progress
can come from more minor advances. Thousands of lesser improvements that build
upon one another can represent an enormous advance for society. The soundest
and best way forward is through innumerable small steps that could be just
nudges and tiny pushes. We should wait for windows of opportunity to push big
changes through during these small steps.
The first rule of learning is to do it in small chunks
and through occasional big pushes when the momentum is strong. Brief bursts are
better than one prolonged blast. Slower and smaller steps also help build a
person’s adaptability to change. Look for small innovations, not just blockbusters.
By changing what they do, people move societies in new directions. Big simple
solutions are tempting but full of risks. Most of the time, the soundest and
the best way forward is through innumerable small steps.
Small gains, well-consolidated as part of a sequence,
can mean more than significant gains which are unstable and short-lived.
Accumulated over time, they snowball into giant achievements. People move
societies in new directions by changing what they do and bringing about change.
Big simple solutions are tempting but full of risks.
The real development story is an aggregate of
initiatives in thousands of clusters led by extraordinary people, few of them
known and the vast majority of them unknown. But not all can expect recognition
or become folk heroes. For most of those who put the last first, the
satisfaction and rewards are not fame but knowing that they have done what was
right and that things are slightly better than they would have been. We have
abundant examples of people who have renounced their ambrosia of social and
political positions and pledged their lives to empower the disenfranchised.
These practical idealists are backed by heroic, skillful and inspiring field
staff, and demonstrate passion, intellect and gritty determination. It doesn’t
require a flash of genius or the invention of any radical idea to change the
storyline.
