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- Ready to Stop Firefighting and Start Unlocking Your Leadership Potential?
Ready to Stop Firefighting and Start Unlocking Your Leadership Potential?
(imagine your team winning and growing in capacity...)
As a leader, you might sometimes feel like you're on a rollercoaster — one day you're on top of everything, and the next, you’re juggling a million tasks and wondering why your team isn’t moving at the pace you need. If that sounds familiar, Michael Wolsten’s new book, Catalyst: The Simple System to Energize, Build, and Sustain Business Teams Who Keep on Winning, is here to help.

You Don’t Have To Be The Hero
Catalyst isn’t just another leadership book filled with theory and fluff. Instead, it offers a straightforward, practical framework designed to help you shift from being the "hero" who does it all, to becoming the leader who builds systems that allow your team to thrive — with or without you in the room.
Through the ABC Framework — Assess, Build, Cultivate — you’ll learn how to prioritize what really matters, empower your team with the right tools, and create sustainable momentum.
The core of this book is all about helping you become the kind of leader who can step back from the day-to-day and focus on what truly drives long-term success.
A big part of this is delegation. Let’s face it, as leaders, we often feel like we have to do everything ourselves.
But Catalyst shows how effective delegation doesn’t just lighten your load — it empowers your team, helps them develop new skills, and gives you more time to focus on high-level strategic work. It’s about building trust and autonomy, so your team can grow in their capacity and results.
One of the most important takeaways from Catalyst is that leadership isn’t about being perfect or trying to do everything on your own.
It’s about learning from mistakes, understanding what’s really going on with your team, and setting up systems that allow them to do their best work. By focusing on building those systems, you set yourself up for consistent success, not just for today, but for the long term.
“Leadership isn’t about being perfect or trying to do everything on your own — it’s about setting up systems that allow your team to do their best work.”
FAIL FORWARD. MAKE MISTAKES AND LEARN FROM THEM!
Wolsten also explores the dangers of trying to "fake it until you make it."
As leaders, we can sometimes feel the pressure to appear like we have everything under control, but that can lead to disconnect and missed opportunities for growth. Instead, Catalyst encourages you to be authentic, open about challenges, and honest about your own learning process. This approach fosters genuine connections and creates a culture where growth is nurtured through real conversations and continuous feedback.
The bigger picture here is that leadership is an ongoing process. It’s not about always having the answers or being perfect, but about creating the systems that help your team succeed, even when you’re not in the room.
With actionable insights and a practical framework, Catalyst shows you how to transform not only your leadership approach but also how your team works together and achieves its goals.
Power Questions To Help You Reflect
Where might I be focusing too much on appearances instead of addressing what’s really happening with my team?
What tasks am I holding onto that I could delegate to others?
Where could I be more open to feedback — either from my team or about myself?
How can I shift from trying to do everything myself to building systems that lighten the load for everyone?
If you’re ready to lead with more clarity, build a stronger team, and create lasting results, Catalyst is the resource you need. It will help you step away from the day-to-day grind, refocus on strategic leadership, and build a team that thrives with or without you.
Get your copy of Catalyst today and start your journey toward more effective, empowering leadership.
Thank you for reading The Credit Union Playbook!