--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Large-scale change is grounded in small…" description: "\"“Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big idea”\" — Stewart Friedman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg" --- # Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big… ![“Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big idea” quote by Stewart Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg) > ““Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big idea”” Stewart Friedman ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Small actions collectively enable large‑scale transformation of big ideas **In simple terms:** Small steps build big ideas Key Takeaway Start with a small step toward your vision Themes big idea business change ideas scale small steps Mood motivational determined Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - startup launch - product development - social movement - personal habit change Key Concepts incremental progress strategic planning execution vision casting Questions to Reflect On - What small action can you take today toward your big idea? - How do you maintain momentum after the first step? A Different Perspective Scaling requires resources and coordination beyond initial steps ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Small steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-steps/) ## Related quotes > [“I'm just wondering if it's a good thing to resign yourself quite this much to small steps when you could take some big ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-m-just-wondering-if-it-s-a-good-thing-to-resign-yourself-quite-this/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [I am not going to make promises I can't keep. I am not going to talk about big ideas like single-payer and then not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-not-going-to-make-promises-i-can-t-keep-i-am-not-going-to-talk/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Believe in something larger than yourself... get involved in the big ideas of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/believe-in-something-larger-than-yourself-get-involved-in-the-big/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [I really like Kickstarter because you don't have to be a Medici to fund the arts and sciences or to get behind a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gansky/i-really-like-kickstarter-because-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-medici-to/) [Lisa Gansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gansky/) > [The emergence of a unified cognitive moment relies on the coordination of scattered mosaics of functionally specialized brain regions. Here we review the mechanisms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-varela/the-emergence-of-a-unified-cognitive-moment-relies-on-the/) [Francisco Varela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-varela/) > [ Our agreements on creating the conditions for preparing a peace treaty \[with Japan\] should be rooted in this trust. This may be achieved, for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/our-agreements-on-creating-the-conditions-for-preparing-a-peace/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [The most essential mental quality for a free people, whose liberty is to be progressive, permanent and on a large scale, is much stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-bagehot/the-most-essential-mental-quality-for-a-free-people-whose-liberty-is/) [Walter Bagehot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-bagehot/) > [History is neither more nor less than biography on a large scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-de-lamartine/history-is-neither-more-nor-less-than-biography-on-a-large-scale/) [Alphonse de Lamartine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonse-de-lamartine/) > [That was the most exciting period, I think: at first, when you get the success on that really large scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collen/that-was-the-most-exciting-period-i-think-at-first-when-you-get-the/) [Phil Collen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collen/) > [Longing on a large scale makes history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/longing-on-a-large-scale-makes-history/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [Industrialisation only can generate large-scale employment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-chandrababu-naidu/industrialisation-only-can-generate-large-scale-employment/) [N. Chandrababu Naidu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-chandrababu-naidu/) > [The effect of boredom on a large scale in history is underestimated. It is a main cause of revolutions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-vaughan/the-effect-of-boredom-on-a-large-scale-in-history-is-underestimated/) [Bill Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-vaughan/) > [I am very focused on large-scale deployments of renewable power and how we're going to get this done. Imagine our military bases covered with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mcdonough/i-am-very-focused-on-large-scale-deployments-of-renewable-power-and/) [William McDonough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mcdonough/) > [The class which has the power to rob upon a large scale has also the power to control the government and legalize their robbery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/the-class-which-has-the-power-to-rob-upon-a-large-scale-has-also-the/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) ## More Big idea quotes > [I am not going to make promises I can't keep. I am not going to talk about big ideas like single-payer and then not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-not-going-to-make-promises-i-can-t-keep-i-am-not-going-to-talk/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I really like Kickstarter because you don't have to be a Medici to fund the arts and sciences or to get behind a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gansky/i-really-like-kickstarter-because-you-don-t-have-to-be-a-medici-to/) [Lisa Gansky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gansky/) > [Believe in something larger than yourself... get involved in the big ideas of your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/believe-in-something-larger-than-yourself-get-involved-in-the-big/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [“You want the story of my life? Big ideas, small results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-stanwyck/you-want-the-story-of-my-life-big-ideas-small-results/) [Barbara Stanwyck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-stanwyck/) > [It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product. Unless your advertising contains a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/it-takes-a-big-idea-to-attract-the-attention-of-consumers-and-get/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [The only big ideas I've ever had came from daydreaming, but modern life keeps people from daydreaming. Every moment of the day your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-maccready/the-only-big-ideas-i-ve-ever-had-came-from-daydreaming-but-modern/) [Paul MacCready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-maccready/) > [You will never win fame and fortune unless you invent big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/you-will-never-win-fame-and-fortune-unless-you-invent-big-ideas/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [People laugh at me because I use big words. But if you have big ideas, you have to use big words to express them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-laugh-at-me-because-i-use-big-words-but-if-you-have-big-ideas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I've never been shy about big ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-ve-never-been-shy-about-big-ideas/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [“The path to success involves two parts. Part One is all about imagination and dreaming up a big idea. Part Two is all about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-clark/the-path-to-success-involves-two-parts-part-one-is-all-about/) [Clay Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-clark/) > [You never know when some small thing will lead to a big idea. Travel is very inspirational - but it's in the ordinary that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/you-never-know-when-some-small-thing-will-lead-to-a-big-idea-travel/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [The job of the leader is to get the big ideas right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/the-job-of-the-leader-is-to-get-the-big-ideas-right/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [“There is a current perception is that science has overtaken Philosophy and in effect rendered Philosophy irrelevant. Science, when sufficiently abstracted, approaches Philosophy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-golway/there-is-a-current-perception-is-that-science-has-overtaken/) [Tom Golway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-golway/) > [I always tell people that revelling in big ideas for me is kind of like an antidote to existential angst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/i-always-tell-people-that-revelling-in-big-ideas-for-me-is-kind-of/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) [Browse all 254 Big idea quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-idea/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big idea”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stewart Friedman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-friedman/large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small-steps-toward-a-big-idea/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big idea" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-friedman/large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small-steps-toward-a-big-idea/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/stewart-friedman-280139_big-idea_large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small_1552542.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Large-scale change is grounded in small steps toward a big idea” — Stewart Friedman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stewart Friedman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-friedman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Large-scale change is grounded in small...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-friedman/large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small-steps-toward-a-big-idea/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-friedman/large-scale-change-is-grounded-in-small-steps-toward-a-big-idea/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```