The Catalyst Perspective

Last week, I was talking with a friend and my mind went straight to the hard parts of 2025.

The strain inside a relationship.
My business not growing as fast as I wanted.
Not seeing my grandsons - my “Sugababies,” as much as my heart would like.

And then she stopped me.

She said, “Every year has good and bad. No year is perfect.”
Then she started naming what I conveniently skipped.

She reminded me how consistent I’ve been in my business.
How hard I’ve worked on my personal growth.
How I invested in myself.

And then she said something that hit me in my chest.

“A street was named after you this year.”

Whew.

That’s when it clicked: when you lead, you get trained to scan for risk, gaps, and what still needs fixing. And if you are not careful, you will end the year with a story that only names what hurt.

The Power Move: Strategy & Perspective

Here are 5 SCALE™ strategies to close the year strong and walk into Q1 steady.

S: Strengths-Based After-Action Review

Do not “reflect” in a vague way. Run a real AAR.
Ask:

• What worked because I led it well?
• What drained me that I need to address before it becomes a repeat problem?

Keep it real. Write it plainly. Just the truth.

C: Confidence Built on Receipts

Confidence cannot depend on applause.
Public leadership rarely rewards you in real time.
So do not guess about your growth. Document your evidence.

A: Aligned Values and Boundary Negotiation

Pick one value you are protecting in Q1. Then choose one boundary that makes it real.

Example: If your value is excellence, your boundary might be:
“I do not accept last-minute fires caused by someone else’s lack of planning.”

If your values are not protected, they are just words.

L: Leadership Longevity

One question: What must be true for me to lead well in January?​
Sleep.
Recovery.
Protected prep time.
Fewer unnecessary meetings.
Stronger support.
​Pick one. Commit.

E: Ecosystem Building

Stop being the only pillar holding up the building.
Choose one relationship to strengthen going into Q1: a peer ally, a mentor, a staff partner who can run point, or a decision-maker who will back you in the room.

Your ecosystem matters.

Ally in Action: A Note for Men on This List

Many men already model respect and professionalism. Keep doing that.

Now take the next step.

Use your influence to make sure respect becomes the norm, not the exception, especially when pressure rises.

• Reinforce productive meeting norms
• Interrupt side comments that derail credibility
• Back fair decision-making in real time
• Hold peers accountable when conduct slips

That is how culture gets protected. That is how trust stays intact.

Two (2) ways to invest in yourself as we enter 2026

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1) The Catalyst Power Retainer™ opens for January

I am taking four (4) clients for the next quarter. This is confidential strategy support built around your schedule.

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If you want to talk it through first:

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2) SCALE™ to Soar Leadership Assessment

Not ready for a 3-month commitment? Start here.​
It is self-guided and built to fit busy municipal workloads on your schedule.
Access it here:

Final Words

This is for the municipal leaders carrying decisions that impact real lives.
It is also for the people who invest in community without a title.

Some of you showed up through coat drives, food pantry shifts, mutual aid, mentoring, checking on elders, and making sure families had what they needed when systems fell short.

If you spent 2025 showing up for others, do not end the year dismissing yourself.

Municipal leadership trains you to notice what is broken first. That skill saves communities.
But it can distort your sense of progress if you never count what you built.

So before you plan Q1, do this first: name what you did right.​
Name what you carried.
Name what you improved.
Name what you faced without losing yourself.

I ran a 5K this year. That was me investing in myself.​
A street was named after me in my hometown. That was legacy.​
And I still had hard days. That is real life.

You can hold both truths. The pressure and the progress.

End this year with receipts.
Start the next one with strategy.

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In partnership and purpose,