I remember very clearly my first job after college. I had graduated near the top of my class with a couple of awards to my name. Confident, eager, and ready to make my mark on the world, I entered the workforce as a junior architect. I imagined I’d be working on grand designs and changing the world. Instead, I found myself faced with something far less glamorous—and yet, far more valuable than I realized at the time.

The Frustration of a Slow Start

My first assignment was with a design team on a premier project. We were a small group: four designers and a project principal. My mind was racing at 100 miles per hour, filled with ideas, but the reality of working on a large team forced me to slow down. Instead of transforming skyscrapers, I was designing the entrance foyer, a staircase, and exterior masonry detailing. While these were all important pieces, they felt too small. I wanted more—more responsibility, more opportunity, and a chance to make a bigger impact.

At first, I thought the solution was to find a new firm, so I moved to another architecture office. But once again, I was assigned small pieces of big projects. The work was exciting, but I still felt unfulfilled. It wasn’t until later that I realized what was missing. The problem wasn’t the firm—it was my perspective.

The Lesson Learned from the Navy: Small Wins Build Momentum

After some soul-searching, I decided I wanted real leadership experience and joined the Navy as an officer. Following training, I was stationed in Washington, D.C., managing large-scale infrastructure projects. My new boss handed me five enormous binders and said, “Read these and summarize everything in a one-page briefing.” It felt like drinking from a firehose, but it was my first real test.

It was during this time that I learned an essential lesson: always present a solution, even when you’re unsure. When I came back with my briefing, my boss didn’t just want information—he wanted a recommendation he could act on. He wanted a place to start discussing possible solutions, not continue discussing the problems. That principle stuck with me: good leadership is about making decisions easier for others.

I soon found myself managing small projects—important, but not exactly exciting. At first, it felt like more maintenance work. Then came a turning point. One day, the executive officer asked me to organize a meeting. I jumped at the task and did it well. A week later, he gave me a bigger task: organize, facilitate, and follow up on a discussion with key stakeholders. I nailed it.

Small wins turned into bigger wins. I was entrusted with leading a regional initiative, which ended with me briefing a three-star admiral. Soon after, I was working on high-stakes projects, briefing senior Navy leadership in their homes and offices. It wasn’t easy, but these challenges helped me mature professionally and find my stride.

Small Wins are the Building Blocks of Leadership

As my time in that role came to an end, I asked the executive officer about his approach to developing young officers. His response has stuck with me ever since:

“I start everyone with small tasks, set a deadline, and see how they perform. If they do well, I give them more responsibility. If they can’t handle it, their weaknesses show up, and we address that. But if they succeed, I keep building on their success with progressively larger challenges.”

It wasn’t about throwing people into the deep end—it was about building confidence through small wins. And that approach worked. Over time, I earned the trust of leadership and was handed assignments that required discretion, creativity, and skill.

Why Small Wins Matter in Your Career

Looking back, I realize that small wins were the key to unlocking the kind of leadership I craved. The small victories—organizing a meeting, writing a concise report, or delivering a successful briefing—became stepping stones to larger accomplishments.

I see the same pattern now in consulting and mentoring others. Too often, people expect their careers to take off with a single big break. But leadership—and growth—don’t work that way. They come from showing up, doing the small things well, and building a body of work over time.

By mastering the little things, you create a track record of success. And when you demonstrate that you can handle the small stuff, people naturally trust you with more. This is the foundation of effective leadership. You don’t need to wait for someone to hand you a major opportunity—start by looking for small ways to make an impact today.

How to Create Small Wins in Any Organization

If you’re just starting out, or feel stuck in your role, here are a few ways to find small wins and begin making an impact:

1. Identify Tasks Others Avoid

Look for the tasks that no one wants to do. It could be organizing a meeting, summarizing data, or managing a routine process. Taking on these small but necessary jobs shows initiative and reliability.

2. Solve a Small Problem

Pay attention to areas where things aren’t running smoothly. Is there a process that could be more efficient? A tool that could be better utilized? Propose a solution and take the lead in implementing it.

3. Offer to Help a Teammate

Find ways to support your colleagues. Offer to take a task off someone’s plate or provide help during a busy period. Even small gestures build goodwill and demonstrate your commitment to the team.

4. Follow Through on Your Promises

The simplest way to build trust is to do what you say you’ll do. Meet deadlines, follow up on commitments, and make sure your work is accurate. Consistency over time builds credibility.

5. Share Your Ideas (Even Small Ones)

Don’t wait for permission to contribute. If you see an opportunity for improvement, speak up. Even if your idea isn’t implemented immediately, you’re showing that you’re thinking critically about the organization’s success.

6. Track Your Progress

Keep a journal or list of your small wins. It’s easy to forget the little things you’ve accomplished, but when you track your successes, you’ll see how far you’ve come—and so will others.

7. Be Ready for the Next Challenge

Success builds on success. When you handle small tasks well, people will trust you with bigger opportunities. Always be ready to step up when the next challenge presents itself.

Start Small, Grow Big

The power of small wins lies in their ability to build momentum. Each success—no matter how minor—adds to your confidence, strengthens your skills, and builds your reputation. Before you know it, those small wins turn into bigger opportunities, and you find yourself leading projects you once thought were beyond your reach.

Wherever you are in your career, start small. Look for ways to make an impact, no matter how minor they seem. Build your confidence, one win at a time. And when the big opportunities come, you’ll be ready to lead.

Leadership isn’t about waiting for permission or the perfect opportunity. It’s about creating momentum through action. The sooner you start looking for small wins, the sooner you’ll begin building the leadership skills that will serve you throughout your career.