Marcelo Malakooti: What is the Butterfly Effect in Leadership?

Marcelo Malakooti, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Ann and Robert H. Curie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, shared on LinkedIn

“What is the Butterfly Effect in Leadership? Can transformative leadership be inspired by a simple, intentional action borrowed from nature?

In ecosystems, the smallest shifts—such as a butterfly’s wings flapping—can cascade into monumental change. Leadership works the same way. Research support this, too: Teresa Amabile’s Progress Principle shows how small wins fuel motivation, and Daniel Kahneman reveals how mental resets boost performance. I’ve witnessed it firsthand in healthcare—introducing just a 5-minute pause during rounds transformed team morale, productivity, and efficiency.

In this latest article on Cross Pollination and Leadership, I look at how the “butterfly effect” from nature applies to leadership. There are real-world examples and practical steps showing how intentional micro-actions can create ripples throughout teams and organizations. Click the article below to read more about how even the smallest changes can make the biggest impact!

What is the Butterfly Effect in Leadership: Small Actions, Big Impacts

One of nature’s most captivating – and popularized – ideas is the butterfly effect: how the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can set off a chain of events leading to exponentially sized results, such as a tornado thousands of miles away. While this phenomenon is often associated with chaos theory, I invite you to suspend belief a bit and consider it within the framework of how we lead.

We often first think on the big goal, the major win, the end result where we want ourselves and our teams to be. But small, intentional actions from leaders—much like a butterfly’s quiet flutter—can create ripples that lead to monumental transformations in teams and organizations. Leaders can harness this principle of incremental steps to drive innovation, foster resilience, and inspire cultural change to scale a sizeable win.

Small Actions, Big Ripples: The Ecosystem Parallel In nature, ecosystems thrive on a delicate balance. The slightest change, such as the introduction of a new pollinator or even a subtle shift in temperature, can redefine the dynamics of an entire environment. Similarly, in organizations, even the smallest decisions and actions (or inactions) by leaders can have profound, far-reaching impact.

For instance, a leader who starts small to consistently acknowledges team members’ efforts creates a culture of recognition, a cumulative effect over time. Or, taking one thing off the plate of a team member so they can better focus on a priority can speak volumes to how that person feels valued.

These simple actions fosters morale, which in turn improves collaboration, innovation, engagement and retention. This can lead to massive results in the long-term that ripple throughout an entire organization.

It’s not always the grand gestures but the consistent, intentional ones that can shape the direction of our teams and future.

Leadership Insight. Just as ecosystems adapt to even the most minute of changes, organizations similarly will evolve when leaders make purposeful decisions. These micro-actions—whether it’s a word of encouragement, an open-door policy, taking some of the workload—may seem small in the moment but create cascading effects that transform team dynamics and can deliver long-lasting morale and results.

Real-World Example: Shifting Team Culture

We are often so busy that taking a moment for a small, marginal shift in day-to-day meetings to introduce a change, such as a word of gratitude, seems disruptive. Initially, it feels trivial. But over time, this practice reshapes the team’s culture. Team members can reap exponential benefits, feel valued, and can lead to more productive meetings overall.

Or, it may be “leading from the back,” speaking just a few minutes less than usual, and letting the team drive the discussion. Just like the butterfly effect, a minor, intentional change in one corner of the system creates ripples of transformation that uplift the entire organization.

Real-World Example: Efficiency through Micro-breaks

A few years ago, while leading our Pediatric ICU, I introduced the idea of taking small breaks during bedside rounds. These rounds often lasted several hours, with large teams continuously working and circulating from patient to patient. Research shows that performance can decline without moments to reset, and we wanted to ensure consistent quality of care for every patient, regardless of their position in the rounding sequence (1).

At first, the concept of taking a five-minute break during rounds seemed counterintuitive—wouldn’t it just make rounds longer? Surprisingly, we found the opposite. Allowing team members to grab water, use the restroom, or even scroll through their phones boosted both productivity and efficiency, ultimately shortening the duration of rounds. The practice also improved team morale.

This experience underscored how small, seemingly counterproductive changes can lead to significant, positive outcomes over time.

The Science of Small Wins. Psychology research supports the butterfly effect in leadership. Teresa Amabile’s study on progress reveals that the perception of “small wins” has a profound impact on motivation and creativity in teams (2). Recognizing and celebrating these incremental successes drives engagement and inspires individuals to tackle bigger challenges.

Leaders who focus on creating a series of small wins build momentum, ensuring sustained growth and adaptability.

Applying the Butterfly Effect in Leadership. Here’s how we leaders can adopt this principle:

1. Be Intentional with Small Gestures. Celebrate progress, not just outcomes. Offer micro-feedback to guide growth. Personalize your appreciation. Take one thing off your team members’ plate if needed for prioritization.
2. Focus on Long-Term Ripples. Identify what cultural shifts you want to see and take small steps to set them in motion.Take a chance on small changes that may at first seem counterproductive, and consider the long term benefits.
3. Recognize the Power of Presence. Sometimes, just being there—whether in meetings, on calls, or in casual check-ins—sends a powerful message of support.

The butterfly effect reminds us that change doesn’t always need to start with a tidal wave. Often, it begins with a single flap of a wing, a simple yet intentional act that grows into something huge. Just as ecosystems rely inherently on even the slightest of changes, our teams and organizations can thrive when we embrace the butterfly effect in leadership, focusing on small, deliberate actions that can inspire innovation, resilience, and transformation.

1. Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

2. Amabile, T., & Kramer, S. (2011). The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. Harvard Business Review Press.”