One Small Step—and the Courage to Begin
Real growth doesn’t start with a grand plan—it begins when someone believes you can take the first step, and helps you find the courage to lift your foot.
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A quiet, tree-lined path stretching into the distance—symbolizing the courage to take the first step.
One Small Step—and the Courage to Begin
Real growth doesn’t start with a grand plan—it begins when someone believes you can take the first step, and helps you find the courage to lift your foot.
Last night, Percy, my Papillon puppy, stood at the bottom of the stairs. Three flights stretched above him, and he looked up, wide-eyed and uncertain.
I urged him to come along, but he stayed rooted to the spot.
Because he’d climbed the outdoor steps earlier without hesitation, I assumed he’d follow.
I went ahead, expecting to hear his paws behind me. Instead, a few minutes later came a soft, heart-piercing cry from below.
I went back down. Percy was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, tail still, unsure about what to do.
I lifted him onto the first step, and before I could blink, he bounded up the rest on his own.
The same thing happened on the next two sets of steps.
Each time, all he needed was that one small boost, that single helping step of reassurance. Once he had it, he did the rest himself.
Maybe you’ve stood at the bottom of your own staircase, hesitant to start, wondering if you’re ready.
Or you’ve watched a friend or colleague freeze on the first step, and wished you could help.
That night, I realized how often the same pattern plays out in our lives and work.
Growth rarely begins with grand leaps. It starts with one reachable step—and someone nearby who believes we can take it.
The Power of a One-Step Boost
Earlier in my career, I hired a woman to write for me at About.com. I loved her humor, heart, and insight.
I also loved her familiarity with employment law, a perpetual weakness of mine due to a lack of interest and experience.
I also thought she was an established writer with a following—she was that good.
Years later, I discovered in a LinkedIn post that my faith in her—my acknowledgment of the universal appeal of her writing—was part of the reason she pursued writing as a portion of her career.
A small decision on my part to hire a competent freelancer had been a one-step boost for her toward confidence and success in her creative work.
If you’ve ever offered a person an opportunity, encouraged a colleague to speak up, or said “I believe in you,” you’ve seen this too.
Real help doesn’t mean taking over; it means giving another person the courage to begin.
A One-Step Boost From Colleagues
At one of my consulting clients, the owner promoted Donna to plant manager, the first woman plant manager in the organization’s history.
She had been deeply hesitant to apply for the position. She found herself surrendering to self-doubt despite her deep knowledge of the plant, her positive relationships, and her ability to inspire respect.
Recognizing her dilemma, her team went to lunch without her and decided together to give her their own one-step boost.
They encouraged her to apply and told her they believed she would do a great job. They had her back.
They even suggested one of their own as a capable replacement for a supervisor in case that affected her decision about receiving the promotion.
Donna applied. She was selected. When she led her first plant-wide meeting, she thanked her team for their support.
She told the assembled plant that, without her team’s support, she would not have had the courage to step up.
She further stated that she trusted the assembled plant members to help her succeed, as they would any other leader.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The entire plant rallied behind her leadership, and she went on to lead with distinction.
Sometimes the first step isn’t physical. It’s emotional—the moment we decide to believe in ourselves because someone else first believed in us.
A Different Kind of One-Step Boost by Example
At my own company, we once faced a different kind of challenge.
The committee selecting the required trade-show booth outfits had chosen styles perfect for the young and lean—but not for everyone else.
Several employees, including me, felt uncomfortable and self-conscious in the selected tuck-in tops.
We discovered this dilemma when the tops arrived just days before the trade show.
Acutely aware of how some of the booth attendants felt, I reworked the required outfit until it looked and felt good on me.
When I walked into the booth that morning, confident and comfortable, others noticed. By the first break, every employee who’d been uneasy had adjusted their outfit to match mine.
We were all still easily picked out as booth attendants, the reason for the matching tops.
No speeches, no announcements, just one visible act of self-assurance that gave others the permission they sought to take a comfort step.
When the Boost Goes the Other Way
After I left my position running an adult-education center, I struggled to find my next opportunity.
I applied for dozens of jobs. Interviewers told me I was overqualified—that I should be applying for their positions, or even their bosses’.
Consulting appealed to me, but the thought of selling myself endlessly felt daunting. Pinpointing the specific skills that people would buy was even more challenging in my mind.
Then, during an interview for a state small-business project, a manager saw something in me I couldn’t yet see in myself.
He offered to fund half my time to serve his agency’s small-business clients as an HR and organization development consultant.
That single gesture—his faith in my potential—gave me the confidence to leap into consulting full-time. (My husband and I decided the compensation would also cover our mortgage and food, so there was also that...)
It was my own one-step boost, the spark that shaped decades of work I’ve since loved.
We’ve all had these moments (I hope): when someone’s belief in us gave us the confidence needed just long enough to begin.
We remember these moments forever, long after the first step is behind us.
Values in Action: How to Offer a One-Step Boost
Helping others grow isn’t about taking control or doing the work for them.
In fact, that is the quickest way to impede progress and growth.
Helping is about standing beside them until they find their own strength to take that first step.
Want to know how to help others take their first step? Here are ten ways you can offer that “first step” boost in your work or relationships:
See potential before proof. Everyone has gifts to offer once they see them.
Look for moments when a colleague or friend is almost ready. Your belief and support might supply the courage they lack to take that first step.
Name the ability you see. Share what’s real and specific: “You have a calm presence that earns trust,” reaches more deeply than general encouragement, “You’ll do great.”
Model, don’t manage or tell. When you demonstrate confidence, integrity, or vulnerability, others see what’s possible and take the step more easily.
Celebrate effort, not perfection. The first attempt is the hardest. Notice and praise it, even when the result isn’t flawless. (Percy got a small treat at the top of every flight.)
Ask guiding questions. Instead of providing answers, ask: “What’s the smallest next step you could take to achieve your goal?” Ownership builds confidence.
Offer stability, not rescue. Support means being steady enough that others dare to try—not solving the problem for them.
Reflect progress. People frequently don’t realize how far they’ve climbed, partially because they are in the middle of doing. Point it out: “Remember when this seemed impossible?”
Know when to step aside. Empowerment means letting others move forward without you. When they seem ready, step back with grace.
Reinforce in the future. Remind people of what they’ve achieved and how far they’ve come. You help set them up for more success in the future by reinforcing their progress with your ongoing encouragement—no matter how long it’s needed.
What the First Step Teaches Us
Across decades of consulting, writing, and leadership, I’ve learned that transformation rarely begins with grand plans.
In fact, most of us don’t have a plan at all, often just a feeling, a dream, or a vague thought about what might be a possible future or outcome.
The road to change or growth starts when someone believes you can take the first step—and helps you find the courage to lift your foot.
None of us can climb another’s staircase, but we can stand beside them, offering a steady hand and confidence in them to take the first step.
And once they take it, the rest of the journey becomes theirs.
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Reflection for Readers
This week, look for one person who’s standing at the bottom of their own staircase.
Offer a single step—a word of belief, a model to follow, or a quiet act that says, You can do this.
Most of the time, that’s all it takes—one small lift, and the rest unfolds naturally.
Remember, I share short reflections on values, life, and Percy several times a week in Substack Notes—along with posts from other writers whose work I admire. It’s a more spontaneous space, and I’d love to see you there. Check out Notes for all the latest.
Your presence here means more than I can say. Thank you for being part of ValuesCrafting. Every time you read, reflect, and put these ideas into practice, you’re helping create a world where values guide actions—and that’s something worth sharing.