profile

Catalyst Coaching & Transformation

When the Top Falls Apart, the Base Must Get Stronger - Issue 18

Published 2 months ago • 2 min read

Dear Reader,

Alignment in Local Leadership Isn’t Optional – It’s Urgent

The Catalyst Perspective

Let’s stop pretending we’re waiting for the federal government to save us.
​

Washington is in crisis.

Supreme Court rulings are being defied.

Leaders are being mocked, not respected.

Institutions once held sacred are now political battlegrounds.
​

And in the middle of all this dysfunction, your community is looking for leadership.

Not slogans. Not ceremony.

Leadership.

United States Capitol, Washington DC

This month, new mayors, city council members, trustees, and board officials are being sworn in across the country.

But here’s the hard truth:

Taking the oath doesn’t mean you're ready to lead.

It doesn’t mean you’re aligned.

It doesn’t mean you know how to lead together.

And if you don’t get aligned now, your team will fall apart before you can deliver anything meaningful.

Your community can’t afford your confusion.

Not in this political climate.

Not in this economy.

Not now.
​

The top is crumbling.

That means the foundation….you, better be solid.

The Power Move: Strategy + Perspective

You just took your oath. Now what?

What happens next will determine whether your time in office is transformative or transactional.

​
Because without alignment, you won’t get traction.

​

​
Without clarity, you’ll waste time battling egos and unspoken agendas.

​

​
Without structure, you’ll spin in circles while your community loses hope.

​

And let’s be honest, you didn’t run for office to babysit dysfunction. You ran to make things happen.

That’s why the smartest thing your leadership team can do right now is prioritize strategic alignment.

Not later. Now.

I facilitate sessions with newly elected boards, executive teams, and municipal departments because I know what’s at stake. I’ve been in those seats. I’ve led under pressure. I’ve walked into rooms full of distrust and turned them into teams ready to move.

If your team doesn’t know where it’s going, your agenda is already at risk.

Know what you stand for before your next budget crisis forces you to prove it.

​

The Leadership Catalyst Spark
Download + Call to Action

THIS WEEK'S FREE RESOURCE​
"First 90 Days: The Local Leader's Alignment Checklist”

5 Critical Conversations Every New Board Must Have to Build Trust and Move Forward.

​

This quick guide is designed to get your team aligned before your first major decision hits the table. Inside:

  • The 5 questions that reveal what your board really values
  • A framework for building trust, not just casting votes
  • A tool you can use at your next retreat or board meeting

​

​

Want support leading the conversation? I offer strategy sessions that help municipal teams get clear, get aligned, and get results.

​

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

Men in leadership—this is your time to model alignment, not dominance.

The community isn’t looking for lone rangers. It’s looking for teams that lead with vision and cooperation.

Don’t just call for unity…demonstrate it. Don’t just ask for collaboration….invite it.

​

Your willingness to support your fellow leaders—especially the women, especially the firsts—is what sets you apart from performative allies.
​

Take Action Today
​

  • Download the checklist and bring it to your next team meeting.
  • Share it with your mayor, city manager, or board chair.
  • Don’t assume alignment. Confirm it. Build it.

​

And if you want real movement, let’s have the strategy conversation now.​
​

Help Grow the Movement

Leadership doesn’t happen in silos. It happens in ecosystems.

Know a newly elected official who needs to read this? Forward this newsletter or send them here:
​

​
We rise faster when we lead together.

Until next time…..lead with strategy, not noise.

​

Chasity Wells-Armstrong
​
​Founder, Catalyst Coaching & Transformation

Strategic Leadership Partner for Public Servants & Visionary Teams

The Leadership Catalyst

​
​

2 Plaza Drive, PO Box 5555, Woodridge, IL 60517
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

Catalyst Coaching & Transformation

Unapologetically Uplifting Women

I'm a coach who loves to talk about personal development, news & politics, and health & wellness. Subscribe and join over 1,000+ newsletter readers every week!

Read more from Catalyst Coaching & Transformation

But We Damn Sure Can Change Their Seats. Dear Reader, The Catalyst Perspective I cried when I read the headline. The bill passed. Not because I was shocked, but because I know what’s coming. People will die. Families will suffer. Not in a vague, abstract way but in real, measurable terms: Fewer hospital beds. Closed clinics. Reduced suicide prevention resources for veterans. Gutted public education funding; stripping hope from our kids. And when basic human needs aren’t met, crime rises....

7 days ago • 4 min read

Dear Reader, Now He Has Followers with Guns and They’re Killing Women in Office The Catalyst Perspective This past week, we witnessed something unthinkable, but not unpredictable. Melissa Hortman, the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives and her husband were assassinated in their home by a man dressed as law enforcement. He was carrying a kill list of public officials, abortion-rights advocates, and lawmakers. He had a plan. And he followed through. I knew people who knew...

22 days ago • 5 min read

Dear Reader, You Can’t Have a Standard of Excellence and Penalize Black Women for Meeting It. The Catalyst Perspective It's hiring season. And like clockwork, I’m hearing it again. “You’re overqualified.” Really? Let’s name it: Black women are the most educated demographic in the United States (NCES, U.S. Dept. of Education). We don’t just exceed expectations; we embody excellence. But somehow, when we show up prepared, credentialed, experienced, and aligned; we become a liability. Let’s be...

about 1 month ago • 3 min read