The Power of One Question: Why Focus Is the Heart of Coaching
A business owner once told me this in a coaching session:
“Coach Ronnie, I’m busy from morning to night…
but I don’t feel like I’m winning.”
His calendar was full.
His team was active.
Sales conversations were happening.
Yet every day felt heavy.
As we talked, it became clear—he wasn’t failing.
He was overloaded.
Too many priorities.
Too many decisions.
Too many things demanding his attention.
Then I asked him one simple question.
He paused.
He leaned back.
And for the first time in the session, he went quiet.
That moment is the essence of coaching.
Because coaching isn’t about giving more advice—it’s about helping leaders focus.
Why Leaders Feel Pulled in a Thousand Directions
As business owners, leaders, or aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s easy to feel stretched thin.
You’re managing people.
Handling operations.
Chasing sales.
Building relationships.
Watching cash flow.
There’s never enough time in the day—and everything feels urgent.
This is where coaching becomes a game-changer.
At LeadBiZ, we’ve learned that the real power of coaching isn’t found in answers.
It’s found in the right question.
One question, in particular, stands out—popularized by Tony Robbins:
“What is the one thing I can do, such that by doing it, everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”
This is called the Focus Strategic Question—and it is the heartbeat of effective coaching.
1. Coaching Is About Clarity, Not Advice
Many business owners believe coaching means being told what to do.
But real coaching works differently.
Coaching creates space for clarity.
The Focus Strategic Question forces leaders to slow down and ask:
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What truly matters right now?
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What action has the greatest leverage?
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What will move the business forward more than anything else?
In coaching SMEs, this question cuts through noise and chaos.
It helps leaders identify the one priority that unlocks progress—rather than spreading energy too thin.
Clarity doesn’t reduce responsibility.
It reduces confusion.
2. Focus Is What Drives Results
Tony Robbins often teaches that success comes from leverage—not effort alone.
In small businesses, this truth is critical.
Working harder isn’t the problem.
Working unfocused is.
When a coach consistently asks the Focus Strategic Question:
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Leaders stop wasting time on low-impact activities
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Priorities become clearer and simpler
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Teams align around what truly matters
At LeadBiZ, this is why we guide clients using the Trinity of Growth™ Framework—focusing on:
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Leadership
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Business Acumen
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Networking
Instead of doing everything, leaders learn to focus on the right thing at the right time.
3. Questions—Not Answers—Transform Mindsets
The most powerful coaching moments don’t come from instructions.
They come from insight.
The Focus Strategic Question is transformational because it:
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Engages critical thinking
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Builds ownership and responsibility
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Trains leaders to think in terms of leverage, not activity
Over time, leaders stop asking,
“What should I do next?”
And start asking,
“What truly matters most right now?”
That mindset shift is where long-term growth begins.
4. How to Use the Focus Strategic Question in Your Business
This question is simple—but powerful when practiced consistently.
Daily Focus
Start your day by asking:
“What is the one thing I can do today that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”
Weekly Planning
Review your tasks and identify the single action with the highest impact.
Coaching & Team Conversations
Use the question to guide meetings, reviews, and leadership discussions.
Strategic Decisions
Apply it when evaluating initiatives in Leadership, Business Acumen, or Networking.
The question doesn’t remove work—it sharpens it.
5. Why This Question Is the Heart of LeadBiZ Coaching
At LeadBiZ, we teach that coaching is about:
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Focus
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Leverage
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Intentional action
The Focus Strategic Question is more than a tool—it’s a way of thinking.
Leadership
What one action will most improve trust, clarity, or team performance?
Business Acumen
What single move will most improve revenue, systems, or profitability?
Networking
What relationship or referral system will open the most doors?
When leaders learn to ask this question regularly, coaching shifts from information to transformation—from overwhelm to clarity.
Final Thought
Tony Robbins’ Focus Strategic Question reminds us of a simple truth:
The right question is often more powerful than the right answer.
In business—and in leadership—success isn’t about doing everything.
It’s about doing the right thing.
So pause for a moment and ask yourself:
“What is the one thing I can do that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?”
The answer may change the trajectory of your business—
and the way you lead your life.
