The Leadership Catalyst is where municipal power and women’s leadership collide. I expose how staff culture builds or breaks public trust, and why women leaders must set the standard for their teams and their communities. This is unapologetic strategy, rooted in SCALE™, for leaders who refuse to carry the weight of broken systems alone. Subscribe and join a community that’s rewriting the rules of government leadership.
Thanksgiving Issue 31 ~ Leadership, Gratitude, and the Hands Holding the Line
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For the leaders anchoring their communities in a season demanding gratitude, courage, and truth amid national chaos THE CATALYST PERSPECTIVEThis Thanksgiving feels heavier than usual. My husband is still recovering from his accident. My father, a Vietnam veteran, Army reservist, and lifelong public servant, is navigating new health challenges. When he and I talk about politics, we come back to the same truth: our country is in a fight for the future of its democracy, and the people holding the line are local leaders. Last week, six military service members in Congress issued a public warning to our troops: do not obey illegal orders. Senior Republicans are resigning and naming disrespect and dysfunction as their final straw. The instability at the national level is undeniable. Yet in the newest data from the National League of Cities, Americans report the highest trust in local government. In a season centered on gratitude, I am thankful for every leader who steadied their community this year. That includes mayors, city/village managers, chiefs of staff, municipal directors, clerks, and every frontline employee who continued to serve when it mattered most. THE POWER MOVE: STRATEGY AND PERSPECTIVE When national politics fractures, local leadership becomes the anchor. This is where people find stability, solutions, and service they can trust. The SCALE Framework reminds us: Strengths Based Leadership: You lean into your unique skills when systems shake. Let gratitude be your leadership practice this week. It is more than a holiday sentiment. It is a stabilizing force. THE LEADERSHIP CATALYST SPARKThree Ways to Lead With Strength This Thanksgiving
Premium subscribers receive The Five Minute Leadership Reset, a one page reflection guide to support your leadership through the end of the year. ALLY IN ACTION: A NOTE FOR MENIf you support someone who leads, especially a woman leader, honor her time this week. Leadership is not gendered, but the burden often is. TAKE ACTION TODAYBefore Friday, send one message of gratitude to a colleague, frontline worker, or community partner who made your work possible this year. One sentence is enough. SUPPORT THIS WORKYour leadership strengthens communities. I am grateful for everyone who reads, shares, and invests in this work. If you want steady strategic support in 2026, enrollment for The Catalyst Power Retainer opens in December.
HELP GROW THE MOVEMENTForward this issue to someone in local government who needs steadiness in a chaotic season. FINAL WORDSThis week reminds us of a truth many forget: gratitude is a form of leadership. I hope this Thanksgiving gives you the rest, connection, and courage that leadership demands. Thank you for leading with courage, especially when the nation looks to local government to hold the line. In partnership and purpose, |
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The Leadership Catalyst is where municipal power and women’s leadership collide. I expose how staff culture builds or breaks public trust, and why women leaders must set the standard for their teams and their communities. This is unapologetic strategy, rooted in SCALE™, for leaders who refuse to carry the weight of broken systems alone. Subscribe and join a community that’s rewriting the rules of government leadership.
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