Make Waves

Rock the Boat

Change usually starts with questions. An individual looks at the world or even at how his or her company does things and asks, “Why must it be that way?” “What’s the alternative?” When Apple founder Steve Jobs and Netflix’s Reed Hastings asked questions like that and went after the answers, they revolutionized technology and entertainment.

Visionary entrepreneurs and world leaders aren’t the only ones who can change the world. Anyone at any level of an organization can question the status quo and rewrite the rules. You just need to spot an opportunity for change and take ownership. Don’t wonder, “Why doesn’t someone do something about that?” Instead ask, “What can I do about it?”

A change is like a wave. It starts with something small – one person deciding to act – and ripples outward, influencing people as it goes. Emma Scheffler, a teenager with diabetes, wondered how she could help other diabetic kids. She started a wave when she formed Insulin Angels, a charity that provides information and peer support to hundreds of ailing children and their families.

Starting a wave enhances your career as well as your personal growth. When you move...