Think of It as Science Class for Your Leadership Habits — Minus the Explosions
You’ve been to the leadership training, read the books (maybe even a few by us—awesome). Heard the stories, shared yours, and left inspired and ready to be a better human-centered leader. We see it again and again– great leaders want to keep getting better.
But even the most inspiring leadership lessons can get lost in the whirlwind of real life. That’s where Mini-Personal Experiments come in.
A Mini-Personal Experiment is a simple, 30-day challenge designed to help you turn great leadership insights into consistent leadership habits. It’s one of the many ways we help leaders not just learn — but transform following our leadership programs and keynotes.
Think of it like a leadership lab. No grand strategy, no year-long commitment. Just 30 days to test one new leadership habit and see what happens. It’s a small, focused way to build on what you’ve learned and actually see results.
What’s a Mini-Personal Experiment?
A Mini-Personal Experiment is a low-risk, high-impact way to strengthen your leadership habits. It’s how you move from “That’s a great idea” to “I’m doing it.”
But for it to work, it needs to meet three simple criteria:
- Simple: It’s one clear action, not a 37-step plan.
- Uncomfortable: If it doesn’t make you a little nervous, it’s too easy.
- Measurable: You can count it, track it, or see the results.
We use these in our leadership programs because they work. They help leaders take great ideas and immediately put them into practice. And because they’re only 30 days, they’re easy to start and stick with.
Want to try one for yourself? Here are some of our favorite mini-personal experiments for key leadership habits.
Mini-Personal Experiments for Key Leadership Habits
1. Know You Beyond Work (Connection Habit)
You know that your team members have lives outside of work, but do you know much about those lives? Let’s fix that.
Mini-Personal Experiment: Have three non-work-related conversations with members of your team each day. Could be about their weekend, their pets, or that show they love and you’ve never heard of.
How to Measure: Count your conversations. Notice who opens up. See if people share more ideas because they feel safer with you.
3. Make Meaning (Clarity Habit)
Your team needs to know why their work matters — and they’re looking to you for that answer.
Mini-Personal Experiment: At the start of each team meeting, share one way today’s work connects to the bigger mission.
How to Measure: Track team reactions. Do they seem more engaged? Do they start making those connections themselves?
4. Challenge Assumptions (Curiosity Habit)
You’ve got smart people on your team. Make sure their ideas aren’t hiding behind your assumptions. 
Mini-Personal Experiment: In every meeting, ask at least one “What if…?” or “How might we…?” question.
How to Measure: Count your questions. Watch for the new ideas that follow. (Spoiler: There will be more.)
5. Say No for a Bigger Yes (Commitment Habit)
You can’t do it all. Neither can your team. But you can focus on what matters most.
Mini-Personal Experiment: Say “no” to one request each day that doesn’t align with your team’s priorities.
How to Measure: Track your “no’s.” Notice how much more you and your team get done — and how much less you feel like you’re drowning.
How to Build Leadership Habits with Mini-Personal Experiments
Pick One Habit: Choose a leadership behavior you want to get better at.
Define Your Action: Make it small, clear, and slightly uncomfortable.
Track It: Write down when you do it and any reactions or results.
Reflect: After 30 days, ask yourself: What changed? What did you learn?
Repeat: If it worked, keep going. If it didn’t, tweak it and try again.
Why This Works (and Why It’s One of Our Favorite Tools)
We’ve seen it firsthand — in our keynotes, leadership training programs, and coaching. Great leadership isn’t just about knowing what to do — it’s about consistently doing it.
That’s why our programs don’t just inspire leaders — they equip them. We share powerful insights, practical tools, and real-world strategies. And for leaders who want to take it even further, we offer Mini-Personal Experiments — a simple, powerful way to turn ideas into action.
Because it’s one thing to learn about the power of asking for feedback — it’s another to actually do it every day for a month. (Note: If you missed our interview with Mashall Goldsmith on changing behavior you can do that here).
It’s one thing to know that connection matters — it’s another to build it through daily, meaningful conversations.
So what will your first mini-personal experiment be? Will you ask for more feedback? Say no to one distraction a day? Actually learn the names of your team’s pets?
Whatever it is, you’re just 30 days away from being an even better leader. Ready, set, experiment.
Want to Take This Further? Join Us for a Leadership Program
At Let’s Grow Leaders, we don’t just teach leadership habits — we help you live them. Our programs are designed to turn big ideas into lasting change. Ready to bring this to your team? Let’s talk.
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