A couple of weeks ago, I shared the story of The Grunt—an underground newsletter employees created because they felt unheard.
Senior management’s first instinct wasn’t curiosity. It was to stop it.
That’s understandable, but it’s also revealing. When leaders feel threatened, they often focus on eliminating the symptoms rather than understanding what caused them.
That got me thinking about a different question.
If you weren’t part of senior leadership — but you still cared deeply about the organization — what could you actually do?
Influence Doesn’t Always Start at the Top
Many people assume meaningful change only happens when someone with authority decides to make it happen.
My experience has been different.
Some of the most important changes I’ve seen began with someone who had very little formal authority but enough persistence, creativity, and credibility to help others see something differently.
The challenge isn’t forcing people to agree with you.
It’s helping them become curious.
Instead of asking, “How do I convince them?” a better question might be:
“What could help them see something they haven’t seen before?”
That’s a very different mindset.
Skip the Textbook Answers
If you’ve worked in organizations for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the standard recommendations.
Hold focus groups.
Send surveys.
Create another committee.
Sometimes those approaches are useful.
Sometimes they aren’t.
In the situation I described with The Grunt, my guess is those ideas wouldn’t get very far. Leaders who are already defensive probably aren’t eager to sit through another focus group.
That’s why I’m less interested in textbook answers and more interested in practical ones.
What small action might actually cause someone to pause and think,
“Huh…I hadn’t looked at it that way.”
That moment of curiosity can become the beginning of change.
Think Small Before You Think Big
We sometimes believe influence requires a dramatic breakthrough.
I don’t think it usually works that way.
Babies don’t learn to walk by taking giant leaps.
They begin with tiny, uncertain steps.
Organizations aren’t much different.
Small conversations.
Small experiments.
Small moments that invite reflection instead of resistance.
Those small steps often accomplish far more than one big confrontation.
Let’s Learn From Each Other
This week, I’d like to turn the conversation over to you.
Imagine you’re part of an organization where communication between leadership and employees has broken down.
You have some skin in the game, but you aren’t the senior decision-maker.
What role would you imagine yourself playing?
More importantly…
What would you try?
Not the obvious answer.
Not the textbook answer.
Just one practical idea that might help leaders open their eyes, ears, or maybe even their hearts.
Keep it anonymous.
Keep it brief.
And head over to my LinkedIn post here to leave your comments.
The goal isn’t to solve every organizational problem.
It’s to collect thoughtful ideas we can all learn from.
Sometimes the most valuable insight isn’t the perfect solution.
It’s the next small step.
About the Author, Rick Maurer
