The Ripple Effect: How One Person Can Transform an Entire Organization

Why your decision to step out of the box could be the turning point for your workplace

It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of entrenched culture. But 'Leadership and Self-Deception' offers hope: real change often starts with one person. When a single leader, manager, or team member chooses to step out of the box—seeing others as people, owning their part in problems, and modeling empathy—it sends ripples through the organization. Colleagues notice. Teams shift. Over time, entire cultures transform.

Stories abound: a skeptical supervisor who apologizes to a frustrated employee, sparking a wave of open conversations; a new hire who asks genuine questions and bridges silos; a CEO who admits mistakes and invites feedback, setting a new tone for the company. Research backs this up—cultures of trust and accountability are built not by policies, but by everyday choices, modeled consistently by individuals at every level.

If you want to change your organization, start with yourself. Practice seeing, listening, and caring. The ripple effect is real—and you might be the catalyst your team has been waiting for. 1 4