There is a man who lives about a mile from me who routinely walks his dog in the mornings. One day I was driving to work when he gave me a big wave and an even bigger smile. I didn’t think much of it. Maybe he thought I was somebody else he knew.
But then he did it again a few days later. When I looked in my rearview mirror, I realized he was waving to everybody who drove by.
What an absolute delight.
I started waving back every time I saw him. I had never met the man before, but it didn’t matter. He was spreading joy to strangers during their morning commute.
One day I was driving my children to school when they saw me wave to him. They asked who he was. I told them I didn’t know, but wasn’t it so kind that he waved to people as they drove by? It brought a smile to my face, so I started waving back.
Before long, we all started looking for him during our morning drive. Even on the days we did not see him outside, we thought of him and the joy he brought to our mornings through such a simple act of kindness.
This is the power of impact.
This stranger influenced our day without even being present. Whether he was there or not, we thought of him waving and spreading joy during the morning rush. We anticipated his energy and enthusiasm for the day.
I tell athletes all the time: your influence is never neutral.
I usually say this in the context of leadership and personal accountability within a team. We are either contributing to our environment or drawing from it. There’s no coasting when it comes to team dynamics.
Influence is our attitude and energy when we’re in the room. What are we bringing to others? How are we contributing to the environment?
But impact is very different. Impact refers to what we leave behind when we are not present. The energy that radiates even if we’re not there to bring it ourselves — that’s impact.
I still don’t know that man’s name. We have never had a conversation beyond waving to one another. Yet somehow, he has become part of my morning routine.
What fascinates me most is that he probably has no idea. He likely doesn’t realize that I think of him when I drive by his home, or that his simple habit of waving inspired me to write this column (and share an Instagram reel about his impact).
It makes me wonder how often we underestimate our ability to impact someone else’s day.
A smile. A wave. Holding the door open. Taking a few extra seconds to ask someone how they’re doing while genuinely listening to the answer. These micro moments have a way of lingering long after they have happened.
The same is true in sports.
Athletes often think impact comes from scoring a game-winning goal or throwing down a personal best in a big race. Those moments are memorable, but they do not define what teammates and coaches remember most when reflecting on a season. The memorable moments often happen in the day to day.
Teammates remember who encouraged them when they doubted themselves. And who somehow found a second gear when everyone was beyond exhausted at the end of a game. Teammates also remember who made the locker room more fun simply because they were there.
That’s the kind of influence that lasts and transitions into impact. When people carry great feelings with them long after the season ends.
Maybe that’s the true measure of being a great teammate: not what you accomplish while you’re present, but what remains after you’re gone.
Carry on.
Jess Lapachinski is an athletic administrator and sport performance professional who lives in the Pioneer Valley. Jess can be reached at jl.victoryLap@gmail.com.