“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” — Vincent Van Gogh

An ancient proverb instructs, “He who is faithful in the little things, to him will be given more.” Or, as Albert Einstein paraphrased, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important matters.”

John Wooden, college basketball’s legendary head coach with the most winning record in all sports history advises: “Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens — and when it happens it lasts.”

The Bottom Line: Leaders understand the importance of “little things” and seek small, incremental gains that add up to lasting greatness.