Why I Ask Leaders to Choose One Thing

When I train nonprofit leadership teams on leading change well or developing effective strategy, I make one request at the beginning of every session:

Choose one thing.

One thing that resonates with you. One thing you’ll commit to trying. One thing you’ll practice in your day-to-day work after the session is done.

Why Focus Matters

Most executive leaders are excellent at absorbing huge amounts of information and using it to make critical decisions.

But when it comes to learning new skills—like what it really takes to lead humans through change, not simply to announce that a change is happening—too much information can become a barrier.

That’s why focus matters.

As an advisor trusted by nonprofit executives to help them prioritize what’s most important, I’ve often resisted adding to the information overload leaders already face. For this reason, I had avoided creating an email newsletter. I didn’t want to add noise, or create additional pressure to “do more” when often the real answer is to do less—but better.

Why I Started a Newsletter Anyway

After several nonprofit professionals and LinkedIn followers asked me when I would start one, I began to think differently.

What if a newsletter could embody the same principles I teach?

What if it could encourage leaders to focus on one practice at a time—to choose one thing?

That’s how Choose One Thing was born.

What to Expect

Each month, subscribers will receive a very short list of practical resources related to strategy, nonprofit leadership, or change management.

The idea is simple: pick the one that speaks most to your or your organization’s needs right now—and try it out.

Our first issue, focused on Navigating Organizational Change in Challenging Times, goes out tomorrow.

You can sign up here: Choose One Thing Newsletter

Join the Conversation

What helps you stay focused when there’s too much information coming at you?

👉 To see more reflections—and to share your own strategies—you can join the conversation on LinkedIn here.

I’m Veronica LaFemina. I help CEOs and Department Heads at established nonprofits create strategic clarity and learn to lead change well.

Photo by Hilda Trinidad on Unsplash