The Catalyst Perspective

She’s a first-time mayor, a mother, and officially a “part-time” elected official—if you can call leading a city of over 20,000 people part-time. Spoiler alert: it’s not!!!

She was juggling a full-time job, a young child, and a city that expected her to be everywhere. She carried the guilt of missing events she was invited to because if she wasn’t at every event, did she really measure up?

Sound familiar?

This is the over-functioning trap many women in local government leadership face.

Doing everything yourself isn’t leadership; it’s exhaustion and burnout waiting to happen. And it’s robbing you of your capacity and impact.

The Power Move: Strategy & Perspective

When we began working together, this mayor was carrying too many responsibilities: writing her own speeches, managing her own schedule, and struggling to delegate because she felt it was all on her shoulders.

Guided by my proprietary SCALE™ Framework, we took a real-time strategy approach to:

• Identify her strengths and help her leverage them strategically
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• Center her values first to align her actions and protect her energy
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• Reframe her definition of success and leadership so she could stop trying to do everything
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• Build a leadership ecosystem that supports her and the community

The breakthrough came when she gained the confidence to advocate for herself in the city government’s staff restructuring. She worked with the city manager to create a shared administrative role supporting both offices, a move that freed her from managing tasks better suited for others and enabled her to focus on visionary leadership.

And here’s the kicker: this restructure saved the city $18,000.

If you’re ready to break free from over-functioning and build your leadership ecosystem,

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Ally in Action: A Note for the Men on This List

If you are a man reading this, here’s the truth: equity in leadership doesn’t happen because you “support” women in theory. It happens when you intentionally create space, shift resources, and use your influence to dismantle the barriers women face. That means more than clapping at women’s events or posting a hashtag once a year.

It means you…

• Advocate for women leaders when they’re not in the room
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• Champion their budgets, staffing, and capacity without making them justify the basics
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• Call out bias, even if it’s uncomfortable; especially when it’s coming from your peers

If you want to be an ally in name only, you’ll stay silent.

If you want to be an ally in action, you’ll use your seat at the table to make sure women are not just invited, but centered.

Support This Work

If you believe in empowering women leaders to break free from exhaustion and build real capacity, consider supporting my leadership strategy work and the resources I create.

Help Grow the Movement

Forward this newsletter to women leaders, candidates, and allies who need to hear this message. Post your takeaways on social media and spark conversations about what real leadership looks like.

Leadership isn’t doing it all. It’s doing what matters, with the right team.

Final Words

​ The secret weapon? ​ Building a leadership ecosystem so strong, you can step away without everything falling apart. That’s not weakness; that’s mastery

The most powerful leaders aren’t the ones doing it all; they’re the ones who’ve built the capacity for their vision to thrive, without their constant presence.

Your secret weapon isn’t stamina; it’s strategy. Claim yours now inside The Catalyst Power Retainer™ and set the pace others follow.​
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In partnership and purpose,

Chasity Wells-Armstrong Founder, Catalyst Coaching & Transformation ​ Former Mayor | Village Manager | City Councilor | School Board Member Strategic Leadership Partner to Visionary Teams in Government ​Creator of the SCALE™ Framework for Public Sector Leadership

Everything I share, from assessments to workshops is grounded in the SCALE™ Framework I created for women in government leadership. It’s rooted in lived experiences and inspired by what is possible when women are supported.