Trying to Be Everything to Everyone Doesn’t Work
A reflection on early leadership lessons around clarity, focus, and trust.
One thing I’ve noticed across so many public service-type organizations — local governments, economic development groups, chambers, nonprofits — is this constant, unspoken pressure to be everything to everyone.
We don’t always realize it’s happening — we stretch our missions, just a little bit, for the sake of funding. Or because someone with influence asked us to. Or because… it just seems like something we should do.
Ever heard of mission stretch? It’s when the work starts to go beyond what your mission actually is. Before you know it, you’re saying “yes” to things that don’t align and your team, board, and community are confused about what you actually do.
And it doesn’t just happen at the organizational level. As an executive leader, you can find yourself doing the same thing — trying to say yes to everyone, carrying every expectation, being everywhere for everyone. It’s exhausting, and it leaves people unclear about what you truly stand for.
In my early years in economic development, that’s how I felt. I often say, ‘we were throwing spaghetti at the wall,’ “doing” economic development, but without clear direction. We were chasing opportunities without a clear reason behind them — because it simply fell into the bucket of “economic development.” And because "economic development" can mean 100 different things, it was easy to get lost. This was no one's fault — we were doing everything we could — kind of like a hamster running on a wheel.
That’s exactly the problem I now help leaders and organizations solve. When you’re spread too thin, you lose clarity, alignment, and ultimately impact. The work I do helps shift that pattern so organizations and executives can:
Get crystal clear on their true purpose and priorities
Align teams, boards, and partners around what matters most
Build programs and initiatives that actually make an impact
Strengthen trust with their community and stakeholders
Lead with focus instead of fatigue
Trying to be everything to everyone doesn’t work.
But getting focused? That changes everything.
If this hits home for you — let’s talk. I’d love to help you find your focus.
