This is a story about

small-l leadership ...

… not about big-L leadership.

““The leader knows best.”

Small-l leadership, orknowledge leadership,comes in many forms.

Some people have amazing expertise in a specific field.

Others are experts in processes:

they know how to work the system.

Still others have good instincts and intuition, and their hunches are often on target.

the leadership of the group rotates several times during a project, as different areas of expertise are required.

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In small-l leadership...

Each member takes the lead only for as long as her or his special skills apply.

Small-l stars know that having a grand vision is often much less productive than taking small steps to create momentum

and get things done.

They are the rank-and-file workers who step forward at key points to meet a need or solve a problem.

such as building a first-class playroom benefiting 700+ children,

Small-l leadership can deliverextraordinary results... results...

or using the Internet to develop a market for their mother's handmade products.

http://hand-to-hand.2beal.org/

This story of small-l leadership is the result of a large group of volunteers deciding to join forces to make a sustainable

difference in the lives of more than 1,000 children in a disadvantaged area near Brasilia, Brazil's capital city.

The accompanying text was inspired by the book How to Be a Star at Work:

9 Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed by Robert E. Kelley.

What's your story in small-l leadership?