The Catalyst Perspective

You could change the names, change the state, change the seat, and the patterns would still show up.

Because they’re not personal. They’re systemic.

I’ve worked with women mayors, city managers, and municipal directors across the country. Brilliant leaders navigating crises with skeleton teams and relentless public pressure.

And let me be clear: I’ve lived it too.

As mayor, I didn’t have a dedicated communications team. I was writing press releases myself (because there weren’t any before I got there), posting to social media, and crafting newsletters for a city of over 25,000 people.

That’s not leadership support. That’s institutional neglect masquerading as duty.

And it’s happening in too many communities to be personal. It’s systemic.

I see them in red states and blue, in rural towns and major cities, in communities with tight-knit boards and ones where infighting runs deep.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because you’re not the only one carrying what should be a full team’s work. The patterns are national. But the power to shift them? That starts locally……..with you.​
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This newsletter isn’t about one community or one mayor.

It’s about all of us.

And it’s time we stopped internalizing the dysfunction and started leading differently.

The Power Move: Strategy & Perspective

National chaos is hijacking your local leadership. Here’s how to take your power back.

Trumpism. Disinformation. Policy rollbacks.
The chaos isn’t just in D.C.; it’s in your boardroom, your inbox, and your staff dynamics. And if you’re still governing like it’s business as usual, you’re already behind.

What’s happening nationally is being weaponized locally and women leaders, especially Black women and women of color, are catching the brunt of it.

That’s your leverage.

In this month’s resource, I give you 3 bold moves to activate local power without burning out, shrinking back, or playing defense.

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

If you are watching the rise of authoritarianism, disinformation, and targeted backlash against women leaders and saying nothing, then you are part of the problem.

If you're leading a department, supervising women staff, or holding elected office and still think this is “just politics,” you’re not fit to lead.

Start by supporting women you work with, confronting the men who dominate the space, and refusing to replicate the very systems we’re trying to dismantle.

Support This Work

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$5.00 Support My Work We are not in ordinary times.​ And I don’t write to inspire; I write to disrupt. To remind you that power unused is... Read more SUPPORT TODAY →

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Work With Me

National chaos keeps landing in your lap, not because you asked for it but because the system offloads responsibility onto the most capable, the most accessible, and the most overburdened leaders it can find.

You’re handed a crisis and told to lead through it; with skeleton crews, slashed funding, and no margin for humanity.

That’s why I built this work. To backstop the women who carry more than their share. Let’s make sure your leadership doesn’t just respond to the moment; it redefines it.

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Final Words

This work is heavy.

It’s public, it’s political, and it’s personal. And some days, it will convince you that you’re the only one carrying it.

You’re not.

From California to the Carolinas, from city halls to state chambers, I work with women navigating the same disinformation, the same exhaustion, and the same relentless expectations.

It’s not your leadership that’s broken. It’s the systems.

But systems can be reshaped, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Begin with the Quick Start Guide. Or go deeper and apply for The Catalyst Power Retainer™. Your power move is overdue.

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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.