How to Leave a Lasting Impression

The other day, I heard a story that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s about a prank… on the planet Mars.

When the Curiosity Rover was built by the team at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) near my hometown in Pasadena, CA, they needed a way to track how far the rover traveled. So, they designed a unique pattern in the wheel treads as an odometry feature. Since the scientists knew the circumference of the wheel, as the rover drove across the Martian surface, the tracks it left behind were like a measuring tape in the dust. The more imprints, the scientists could determine how far the rover had travelled.

Simple. Smart. Practical.

At first, the tread design actually spelled out “JPL” as in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Pretty clever, right? But NASA said, “No way are we letting you stamp JPL all over another planet.” Fair point. So, the engineers reworked it… sort of.

They changed the letters into a series of dots and dashes. At first glance, the Romanized letters were gone. However what the scientists had cleverly done was turned the letters into Morse Code. NASA didn’t realize it until the rover was sitting on the launch pad, and by then, it was far too late to change it. When it finally touched down on Mars, despite all the red tape and bureaucratic obstacles, the rover still stamped JPL into the surface.

And so, Curiosity has been quietly, defiantly, leaving its mark on Mars ever since.

Maybe the lesson is to never try and outsmart engineers who literally do rocket science every day?

What does this have to do with influence and success?

We live in a world that tells us to be louder. Flashier. Bigger. We’re told that if we want to stand out and be chosen, we need to make noise, wave banners, and shout from the rooftops.

But that’s not how true influence works.

Real influence isn’t about being loud. It’s about leaving a lasting impression.

And sometimes the simplest things leave the deepest marks.

Has someone ever said something to you that made a huge difference in your life? I have. And one comment in particular stands out from the others. When I was in elementary school, we had a part time drama teacher named Mr. Williams who would come in for a few hours each week and teach the basics of theater. We weren’t doing lines or creating a play per say, but were learning how to think on our feet.

During one game we were given a prompt to come up with a situation and then pretend how to solve it, I said I wasn’t sure what to do. That’s when he took me aside and in a 1–1 moment said something that literally changed the course of my life. He said, “Christian you are one of the very most creative people I’ve ever met. I know you’ll come up with something.”

(Actual tracks on Mars. JPL/CalTech)

Up until that point, I had never considered myself creative.

Sure, I did creative things like any kid… drawing, building legos… but no one had ever given me that story about myself to live up to.

But the moment he saw that attribute within me- and gave me a new narrative? I became it. I lived up to it.

His words weren’t flashy. They weren’t loud or bold. But they were expertly delivered and sincere.

He left a lasting impression on my life.

Just like Mr. Williams and his sincere compliment, and just like the Curiosity rover quietly leaving its tracks across a distant planet, you and I have opportunities every day to leave our own marks.

Not with noise. Not with flash. But with intentional, consistent actions that people don’t forget.

What does that look like?

· The handwritten note you send after a meaningful meeting.

· The sincere compliment you give when someone least expects it.

· The text that simply says, “Thinking of you today.”

· The phone call you make — not because you want something, but because you care.

(How will you leave your mark? NASA)

These are the quiet tracks of influence. They aren’t complicated. They don’t cost a thing. And they’re often overlooked because they seem so small and inconsequential.

But they are the things people remember. They are the things that build trust. They are the things that make you stand out — without shouting.

I’ve often said, the person who connects best wins. And connection isn’t built in grand gestures; it’s built in small, consistent moments that leave people feeling seen, valued, and understood.

JPL didn’t need to broadcast their name in lights. They quietly built something extraordinary… and left their mark in every mile Curiosity traveled. Similarly, Mr. Williams didn’t have to speak in front of the whole class. His encouragement in a 1–1 moment forever shaped my mind and destiny.

Here’s my challenge to you:

This week, look for simple ways to leave a lasting impression.

Send the text. Write the note. Make the call.

You don’t need to be loud to stand out.

You just need to show up, consistently and intentionally, and leave tracks that people remember.

And when you do that? Your influence will travel a lot farther than you think. Maybe even out of this world.

Christian

CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his wife. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com