The Power of ONE: How One Small Action Can Cause Ripples of Positive Change

It’s amazing how one small thing can have a large impact. For example, the other day, I was heading out for a walk with my wife when I noticed something in my shoe. It was only a tiny piece of wood, barely visible, but it impacted my walking. Likewise, many of us have felt a headache coming on, taken Advil or Tylenol, and half an hour later, the headache was gone. This is called the Power of ONE – how one small action can have a super-sized impact. Often, these actions can create ripples of positive change for years or even centuries. They are some of the greatest ways we can influence the lives of others. But they necessitate doing something – often just ONE thing. Here are five examples of the power that comes from ONE.

ONE Act of Courage

Sir Nicholas Winton was a British Stockbroker who, in 1938, was exposed to the needs of innocent Jewish children who were increasingly at risk from Nazi Germany. Most people had never heard of Sir Nicholas Winton until a 1998 TV show where he was reunited with some of the people he saved. He was one relatively unknown person who saw a need and ultimately saved 669 children from torture and death. And those 669 children are likely to have had an impact on the lives of many others as a result of his courageous rescues. It all started with ONE act of courage.

ONE Phrase

Lauren Elizabeth, a 23-year-old mother of two from England, was having a very bad day. That’s an understatement. She was having a serious mental health crisis and was standing on the overpass of a highway getting ready to jump when an off-duty paramedic saw her and asked, “Are you OK?” That paramedic called the police, they were able to get Lauren the help she needed, and her two children still have a mom. That unnamed paramedic showed the power of ONE phrase.

ONE Gift

One of the business owners I coached for many years acquired the gift of generosity from her dad. He was a generous man with a strong Christian faith. She was a generous employer and is now a benefactor to many impactful causes. One of those causes is our Emerging Leaders Initiative (ELI), where we bring ten highly-motivated, young leaders (aged 18-23) together for one week to invest in their lives. For four years now, this businesswoman has made a substantive gift to cover the majority of the costs of ELI. One day, one of these young leaders may be the next Sir Nicholas Winton because of ONE gift.

ONE Champion

A champion is someone who advocates or influences us to greater opportunities and higher levels. I read about a high-school dropout working as an auto mechanic who eventually became a Cornell-trained neurosurgeon. What?! That sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But it is true. One day, a customer saw how brilliant he was and said to him, “I don’t think you’ll be happy as a grease monkey the rest of your life.” And that was all it took. One person seeing potential and challenging him to use that potential. He not only went on to complete his medical degree, but he also completed his Ph.D.! Working as a mechanic is an honorable profession, but it is not right for a person capable of fighting brain cancer which so few can do! That is the power of ONE champion.

ONE Decision

Have you heard of the diagnosis “failure to thrive?” It is often used to describe children who are not developing in a normal way. But have you heard of “failure to quit?” It’s exactly what is needed in a culture that has become known for quitting. Making one pivotal decision at that vital moment – sometimes hourly or daily. Do apply for that job. Don’t make that purchase. Do get up and get moving. Don’t take that drink. In the memoir, The Operator, Navy Seal Robert O’Neill shares the advice he received from an instructor during a point in the training when many were dropping out. The guidance was this: “All you need to do to get from now to eight months from now and graduate is not do one thing: No matter what, never quit and you’ll be just fine.” Just ONE decision separated those who dropped out versus those who finished – the refusal to quit. 

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Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.