Capítulo 1
The Mindset That Makes Work Matter
Have you ever noticed that in every workplace, there are people who seem to effortlessly rise above challenges while others struggle with the same conditions? Liz Wiseman's "Impact Players" reveals the hidden patterns behind this phenomenon. The book has garnered praise from business leaders worldwide, with Keith Krach, former US Undersecretary of State and DocuSign CEO, calling it "a crucial resource for developing the next generation of bold, principled leaders." This isn't just another business book-it's the culmination of extensive research across ten countries, interviewing 170 managers to uncover what makes certain contributors stand out. Wiseman, ranked among the world's top fifty management thinkers by Thinkers50, has created a framework that transforms how we think about contribution in an increasingly complex workplace.
Capítulo 2
Seeing Opportunity Where Others See Chaos
In every organization, there are workplace all-stars who consistently deliver exceptional results regardless of circumstances. These Impact Players aren't just talented-they possess a fundamentally different mindset about workplace challenges.
While typical contributors excel in ordinary situations but get flummoxed by uncertainty, Impact Players dive into chaos head-on. They wear what Wiseman calls "opportunity goggles"-seeing possibilities where others see problems. When faced with ambiguous problems, leaderless situations, unfamiliar obstacles, shifting priorities, or increasing demands, they don't retreat or complain. Instead, they recognize these as chances to add value.
Consider Monica Padman, podcast host and producer, or Dr. Beth Ripley, award-winning medical researcher. They exemplify the Impact Player approach, but so does operating room scrub tech Jojo Mirador, who anticipates surgeons' needs before they even ask. What unites these diverse professionals is their response to uncertainty-they embrace it rather than avoid it.
The difference isn't marginal but radical. When typical contributors see a single bee and fear a swarm, Impact Players figure out how to build a hive and harvest honey. This mindset creates a virtuous cycle where their reliability earns them trust, additional responsibilities, and increased mentoring. Their reputation grows, allowing them to contribute at higher levels and continuously improve.
This pattern appears across all demographics, though unconscious bias can sometimes prevent talented potential Impact Players from receiving equal recognition. The good news? These practices can be learned by anyone willing to shift their perspective from seeing workplace challenges as threats to viewing them as opportunities to make a difference.
Capítulo 3
Making Yourself Useful: Doing the Job That's Needed
Impact Players understand a fundamental truth about work: the most valuable contribution often isn't doing your assigned job perfectly-it's solving the problems that matter most to the organization.
When Liz Wiseman joined Oracle as a "fuzzy" (non-technical graduate) among "techies," she faced a department reorganization. Though hoping to develop leadership training, she was instead guided toward teaching technical skills to new hires. By partnering with a technical colleague and diving into unfamiliar territory, she built a reputation that unlocked future opportunities.
This pattern repeats across organizations. While Contributors stay within defined roles, Impact Players solve emerging problems. Scott O'Neil exemplified this as a 22-year-old marketing assistant who fixed a broken office copier causing widespread problems. This initiative led to a conversation with the company president and an immediate promotion. Scott carried this problem-solving approach throughout his career, transforming struggling sports franchises like the Philadelphia 76ers.
The mental game behind this practice involves seeing yourself as a problem solver rather than a position holder. Impact Players operate with a service mindset ("I can be of service and solve problems"), combined with agency and internal locus of control. They understand organizational goals, decode cultural rules, and practice "upward empathy"-seeing through their leaders' eyes to understand what matters most.
When Unilever faced a six-month delay launching a new body wash with innovative fragrance technology, brand manager Sabine Khairallah refused to accept the setback. Though supply chain issues weren't her responsibility, she understood the product's importance and took initiative. She contacted the supply chain manager in Indonesia, identified bottlenecks, and systematically resolved each issue, reducing the delay from six months to just one month and saving approximately $5 million in revenue.
Two common decoys prevent contributors from having maximum impact: "Call to Duty" (focusing too rigidly on job descriptions) and "Pursuit of Passion" (following personal interests rather than organizational priorities). Andrew, a philosophy graduate passionate about leadership, learned this lesson when his manager warned him to focus on making sales calls or risk termination. By shifting his focus to organizational needs, he became the top salesperson and eventually earned a promotion into his area of interest.
The key isn't putting your priorities on the executive agenda, but rather putting the executive agenda on your priority list. When you let go of your own agenda, you can be summoned to a higher one where you create greater value and find greater joy.
Capítulo 4
Step Up, Step Back: Leading When Leadership is Needed
When faced with ambient problems-those low-grade, tolerable issues that everyone complains about but no one fixes-most people learn to live with them, but Impact Players step up to lead. This chapter explores how impactful professionals aren't just loyal followers but ready leaders who can both step up and step back as needed.
Betty Williams exemplifies this mindset: an ordinary office receptionist who, after witnessing a tragic death during Northern Ireland's "Troubles," transformed from concerned bystander to peace activist. She gathered signatures, organized marches with thousands of women, and co-founded Women for Peace, eventually winning the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.
Managers love team members who can take a "no-look pass"-those who not only catch what's handed to them but run with it and score. These Impact Players step up without being asked, unlike those who need constant direction. Joya Lewis demonstrates this approach-from washing dishes at 15 and helping coworkers when her own tasks were done, to becoming a Target store director.
Impact Players share a stewardship mentality and the core belief "I can improve this situation." They don't just identify problems; they take action, with 96% taking charge without direction compared to just 20% of typical contributors. Their fundamental assumption: "I don't need formal authority to take charge."
When you see an opportunity to step up, you often won't receive an invitation-you must invite yourself. Liz Wiseman shares her experience at Oracle running the Leaders' Forum program. When a meeting was scheduled to revise the company's complex strategy, she wasn't invited but attended anyway. Despite initial pushback from a senior executive who questioned her presence, she asserted her value: "I'm pretty good at this type of work, and I think I can help." The president supported her, and she eventually became integral to the process.
But Impact Players don't just become heroes; they make heroes of others. Paul Forgey demonstrated this at Target by handing leadership responsibilities to his direct report Dave during a returns process improvement project. Paul acknowledged that "the cross-functional team deserved the credit" for the creative solutions. His manager described him as "Mr. No Drama" who pulls the best from people without seeking praise.
Following management philosopher Mary Parker Follett's principle that leadership creates more leaders, Impact Players know when to transfer ownership. This transfer requires explicitly handing off responsibility, similar to transferring property title when selling a house-the new owner can't take charge until the previous owner releases all claims.
The best leaders are fluid, rising up and falling back as situations demand-unlike perpetual leaders who believe leadership is a lifelong role once attained. Organizations filled with career-minded managers become sluggish hierarchies, while those stuck as perpetual followers are equally ineffective.
When roles are unclear, organizations get stuck in status quo as people wait for direction from above. But when just one person steps up to lead, progress happens regardless of formal roles. Each success builds a more courageous culture where people take initiative without fear.
Capítulo 5
Finish Stronger: Completing Work Despite Obstacles
Impact Players handle adversity and obstacles differently than their colleagues. Unlike contributors who may escalate issues or stall when challenges arise, Impact Players take ownership to finish jobs completely despite unforeseen obstacles.
Every organization faces both predictable challenges and "unknown unknowns"-problems impossible to foresee. When facing obstacles, professionals have a choice: escalate to higher-ups or take responsibility to resolve problems themselves. Contributors like NASA's "Ed" work hard but call "Yours!" on difficult challenges, while Impact Players ensure work gets completed fully despite hardships.
Impact Players possess what Wiseman calls "the completion gene"-a single-minded tenacity to finish what they start without reminders. This requires both resilience (bouncing back quickly from difficulties) and grit (sustained persistence toward achievement). Resilient people believe "I can overcome adversity," viewing losses as temporary setbacks rather than final outcomes. Google's Fiona Su exemplifies this tenacity, approaching problems with the belief that "all problems can be solved" and treating "no" as merely a starting point to find a path forward.
What truly distinguishes top contributors is their ability to complete work without reminders. Managers describe this as "fire and forget"-once a task is assigned, it's as good as done. Surveys showed 98% of high-value contributors always or often complete tasks without reminders, compared to just 48% of typical contributors and 12% of under-contributors.
Impact Players provide a "performance guarantee" through consistent execution of five key behaviors: taking ownership without reminders, acting with integrity, being approachable and positive, learning quickly, and applying strengths effectively. While typical contributors often exhibit these behaviors, Impact Players do them consistently. This reliability creates a guarantee that managers count on, allowing them to fully delegate responsibilities without worry.
What distinguishes Impact Players isn't just that they take responsibility-it's that they maintain ownership even during setbacks beyond their control. They don't hand challenges back when things get tough. Despite the discomfort most feel when asking for help, influential professionals can request assistance while maintaining ownership of the solution. They involve leaders as consultants rather than new owners, saying effectively: "I need your guidance so I can move this forward."
Impact Players also plan for inevitable problems rather than trying to avoid them. Dr. Kevin Menes exemplified this during the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting when, as attending physician at Sunrise Hospital, he implemented a pre-considered emergency plan that saved countless lives. By mentally rehearsing worst-case scenarios, he was able to rapidly reconfigure the Emergency Department workflow, triage patients efficiently, and improvise solutions when resources ran out.
When work gets challenging, it's tempting to escalate upward. But when leaders take the bait and let staff off the hook too soon, they deny them the learning that comes from struggle. Impact Players earn trust with the most important projects because they get jobs done completely and efficiently. They provide assurance that allows leaders to "sleep easy during storms," working independently without supervision while focusing their energy on anticipating and resolving unknown challenges.
Capítulo 6
Ask and Adjust: Learning and Adapting Continuously
In today's rapidly changing work environment, the ability to adapt is crucial. As Stephen Hawking noted, "Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change." When business targets are constantly moving, professionals must continually recalibrate their approach rather than relying on outdated skills or waiting for conditions to return to normal.
Work has evolved from a static game with clear targets to one where targets constantly move, creating "wicked problems" that change faster than we can solve them. Many professionals respond by hoping the new environment will value their old skills or by getting defensive when receiving feedback. Impact Players, however, view changing conditions as opportunities to adapt and grow, actively seeking corrective feedback to recalibrate their efforts.
Zack Kaplan exemplifies the Impact Player approach to adaptation. As a new Google brand marketing manager, he embraced ambiguity while leading a challenging unified advertising campaign. When marketing management changed direction midway, Zack didn't question the shift but sought to understand how to adapt. Later, when their approach wasn't working, he acknowledged the problem rather than persisting with the original plan. By remaining positive through setbacks, gathering genuine feedback, and making bold pivots when needed, Zack's team created an ad campaign that nearly tripled return on investment expectations.
Impact Players are responsive reactors who adapt to changing environments rather than remaining rigidly stable. They're agile learners whose managers consistently noted how quickly they learn when facing new challenges and how open they are to new ideas. Their adaptability stems from confidence in their ability to learn and comfort with the possibility of failure. This foundation rests on a growth mindset-the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching, and persistence.
When leaders surveyed 170 managers from innovative organizations, learning behaviors topped the list of most appreciated employee qualities-including curiosity, asking good questions, seeking feedback, admitting mistakes, taking risks, and willingness to change. These behaviors actually build credibility with leaders, while defensive reactions like blaming others or ignoring feedback destroy it.
Impact Players demonstrate higher coachability than their peers. While typical professionals seek praise and validation, high-impact contributors actively seek guidance to help them adapt. They stay attuned to gaps, unmet needs, and contrary viewpoints, recognizing they need regular "tuning" like musicians. Though feedback can feel threatening because it creates tension between our needs to grow and be accepted, Impact Players make it easy for others to correct them by proactively asking for guidance before problems arise.
Like ships navigating at night, professionals must sometimes alter course when perspectives collide. Impact Players distinguish themselves by their willingness to adjust rather than stubbornly maintaining their original direction. Deep Shrestha, a lead programmer at Salesforce, learned to take "reset walks" when receiving challenging feedback-creating mental space to let go of emotional reactions and think objectively before responding.
Impact Players create a positive feedback cycle by closing the loop with their mentors and managers. Braden Hancock, co-founder of Snorkel AI, exemplifies this habit through his career progression from Air Force lab intern to Stanford PhD and entrepreneur. At each step, Braden asked for challenging work, sought specific guidance when stuck, reported back on progress, and let mentors know how their advice helped him succeed. This approach activates a "mentoring gene" in others, triggering an investment cycle where mentors continue investing in those who demonstrate their guidance yields results.
Capítulo 7
Make Work Light: Reducing Burdens, Not Just Doing Your Job
In times of crisis, some people make work lighter while others add to the burden. Genie Chance exemplified this during the Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964, North America's most powerful quake ever. As a part-time radio reporter, she became the voice that held Anchorage together during 59 hours of broadcasting. Beyond merely reporting, she coordinated emergency responses, connected resources with needs, and relayed thousands of personal messages that reassured worried families.
While some people create more noise than value, becoming an additional burden to leaders and colleagues, Impact Players help lighten the load. They don't necessarily make work easier, but they make the process of working easier and more enjoyable by decreasing the phantom workload. They provide lift by fostering a light environment that lowers stress and increases joy, reducing burnout.
Karl Doose exemplifies this approach as SAP's business manager to COO Cathy Ward. Despite his youth (starting at 23), Karl sees his role as critical and acts accordingly. He anticipates needs, metabolizes data quickly, and distills information into relevant points-creating presentations and executive summaries before being asked. Karl makes work light for everyone, operating like a peer rather than just supporting his boss.
While managers typically seek additional headcount when workloads spike, Impact Players function as structural reinforcements-like crossbeams and rebar-enabling entire teams to carry heavier loads. Their approach begins with a sense of belonging: the belief that "I am an important part of the team" and that they are valued members of a community.
Impact Players are high performance but low maintenance-like ideal cars that perform exceptionally with minimal effort. They consistently demonstrate low-maintenance, low-drama behavior at rates 4.5 times higher than typical contributors and 21 times higher than under-contributors. Their secret lies not just in what they do but what they don't do: they don't complicate matters, create friction, or overcommunicate.
Impact Players help carry the burden for others rather than adding to it. While some contributors like Andy simply complete tasks and "check boxes" (sending a spreadsheet without analysis, creating more work for his manager), Impact Players like Hilary Caplan Somorjai actively look for ways to reduce others' workloads. Hilary, recognizing her boss's time constraints, offered to read business publications and provide summaries-going far beyond her formal responsibilities.
Karen Kaplan exemplifies this approach. Starting as a receptionist at Hill Holliday (a job she took while preparing for law school), she took her role seriously as "CEO of reception." Rather than just notifying colleagues when airline tickets arrived, she delivered them, then offered to book travel arrangements. She consistently took work from overwhelmed bosses, even leading client meetings when one boss tended to nap. By shouldering leadership burdens, she developed executive skills and eventually became CEO herself.
Impact Players create a positive work environment through appreciation and recognition. Google's Zack Kaplan exemplifies this by sending sixty-nine digital "high fives" in just six months-more than others sent in six years. His philosophy, learned from his mother: "your candle loses nothing when it lights another."
Even in the most intense competitive environments, Impact Players find ways to make work lighter. NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young recalled how his fearsome opponent Reggie White-despite his 300-pound frame and record-setting 198 quarterback sacks-would mindfully roll to ensure Young fell on top of him during tackles, protecting him from injury. This demonstrates that even in high-pressure situations, we can make heavy work lighter for others.
Capítulo 8
Developing the Impact Player Mindset: A Personal Growth Journey
Fernando Carrillo's journey from prison-born child to nonprofit CEO exemplifies the hard-won development of an Impact Player mindset. Born in a Miami prison and raised in London, Fernando's early life spiraled through addiction, crime, and incarceration by age seventeen. Despite initial attempts to change after rehab, he repeatedly relapsed, reinforcing his belief that he was unloved and destined to fail.
A restaurant kitchen job provided crucial structure, while a supportive church community offered belonging. With a mentor's guidance, Fernando developed a growth mindset, enrolled in college, and gradually shifted focus from his own challenges to helping others. He founded a gym for troubled teens, earned degrees in business and theology, and established WellWater to develop young leaders fighting poverty.
Rather than attempting to adopt all Impact Player behaviors simultaneously-a common path to failure-focus on mastering two foundational skills that naturally produce the right actions: seeing through stakeholders' eyes and viewing challenges as opportunities rather than threats.
To increase impact, we must see through the eyes of those who benefit from our work. As Professor J. Bonner Ritchie demonstrated after being attacked in East Jerusalem, understanding others' perspectives transforms relationships and increases influence. When rocks shattered his car window, rather than seeking revenge, he returned to listen to the Palestinian boys who attacked him, building bridges that eventually led to his involvement in the 1993 Oslo peace talks.
The ability to see ambiguity as opportunity rather than threat fundamentally distinguishes Impact Players. While most professionals view challenges as threats to avoid, Impact Players see opportunities to add value. This difference in perception is like viewing the world through different lenses. A threat lens (convex) causes us to become myopic, focusing inward on how situations affect us personally while feeling alone and lacking control. An opportunity lens (concave) creates an expansive view where we see broader context, options, and benefits to stakeholders.
Many change attempts fail because we rely on willpower rather than validating progress with evidence. When new behaviors aren't reinforced by proof of their effectiveness, we revert to old assumptions. Treat new practices as experiments and gather evidence of their effectiveness. For example, Andrew Ritchie, a business strategist, tested the hypothesis that saying less in meetings could increase impact by using the "Play Your Chips Wisely" approach during strategic planning. By selectively contributing on just three key topics, he not only achieved his desired outcomes but gained new perspectives by truly listening to others.
Even when we make meaningful behavior changes, others may not immediately notice. Carol Kauffman from Harvard's Institute of Coaching estimates that the lag between significant behavior change and others acknowledging it can be six months to a year, especially if previous behavior was perceived negatively. To help colleagues appreciate your growth, market your efforts like companies announce upcoming improvements. Let key stakeholders know what changes you're making, which prompts them to create a mental "folder" where they can collect evidence of your new behavior.
Capítulo 9
Building a Team of Impact Players
Creating a dream team isn't luck or magic-it requires purposeful leadership and development. Jake Reynolds demonstrated this when he transformed the Philadelphia 76ers' sales organization from worst to first in the NBA, even while the team was losing on the court. His approach focused on hiring people with the right mindset (competitive, curious, coachable), creating a fun, high-energy culture, and investing heavily in development (spending 50% of his time coaching his team).
When building a team of Impact Players, the best strategy is to hire for qualities that are difficult to develop and then cultivate the rest. Executive coaches identify certain traits as harder to develop: being self-directed, community-minded, having high tolerance for ambiguity, and maintaining positivity under stress. Understanding which mindsets are most difficult to change allows managers to optimize their hiring and development approaches.
While recruiting Impact Players is ideal, most managers must develop the talent they already have rather than handpick their dream team. The best leaders cultivate a climate that balances safety with stretch-removing fear while establishing high expectations. As Amy Edmondson notes, psychological safety alone doesn't produce high performance; leaders must also set high standards. Without safety, challenges produce anxiety rather than growth; without stretch, people feel appreciated but stagnant.
To create an environment where teams can handle ambiguity and adversity, leaders should practice five coaching habits: define the W.I.N. (What's Important Now), redefine leadership as fluid, ask people to stay until jobs are done, critique the work not the person, and state what they appreciate.
Rather than identifying individual superstars, leaders should focus on developing entire teams of Impact Players. The key is to let positive mindsets spread naturally through social learning, where team members observe and replicate advantageous behaviors. This "starter" approach works like sourdough bread-making-one person with the right mindset can catalyze others when placed in the proper environment.
Building a champion team requires assembling diverse talent and creating an environment where each person can offer their natural gifts while coordinating efforts to deliver optimal outcomes. Managers can share practices that produce value and impact, unveil the unwritten rulebook of how things work, and ensure more even distribution of both "glamour work" and "housekeeping work."
Diversity without unity can descend into chaos, but diverse talent working with shared values toward a common agenda creates a winning combination. Film director Robert Zemeckis cited "Forrest Gump" as his favorite movie because "we were all making the same movie"-everyone on the artistic team was united despite the film breaking conventional rules. When everyone works on the same agenda, applying their native genius to the most important challenges, people feel appreciated, eagerly tackle new challenges, and willingly step up to lead or follow.
Capítulo 10
Playing All In: Finding Fulfillment Through Impact
When you play all in, you make a deeper impact. This chapter examines how full commitment creates high-contribution environments where people bring their best thinking and do their best work. Karen Kaplan, who rose from receptionist to CEO at Hill Holliday by appointing herself "CEO" of every responsibility she took on; Paulo Buttenbender, whose empathetic listening earned him critical assignments worldwide; and Jojo Mirador, the surgical tech who anticipates surgeons' needs before they ask-all exemplify this all-in mindset.
Being "all in" isn't about exhaustion or hours worked, but about agency and choice. As former KPMG CEO Eugene O'Kelly noted, "commitment is best measured not by the time one is willing to give up, but by the energy one wants to put in." When leaders create conditions where people contribute wholeheartedly, work becomes exhilarating-not just a job but a joyful expression of one's complete self.
This high-contribution environment emerges when Impact Players and Multiplier leaders combine forces, with each person's value being multiplied. It's ideal for today's workplace where professionals seek impact beyond paychecks, prefer coaching over management, and want to lead rather than merely be managed.
The Impact Player mentality is a path to leadership and greater influence. For managers, building a team of Impact Players allows you to transition from management to true leadership. While the career rewards are significant, the real prize is a better work experience with greater choice and fulfillment. As Mike Singletary said, "Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play."
Like the feather in Forrest Gump that lands at your feet, opportunities present themselves randomly, but how we respond defines our destiny. Impact Players make themselves valuable by playing bigger-finding needs and filling them, turning uncertainty into opportunity. They discover what's important to those they serve and make it important to themselves. Look around, notice what needs attention, and find ways to contribute and create impact.
