Catalyzer’s Inaugural Mission: Ignition Podcast Considers Uvalde Tragedy
Lansing, Kansas – July 27, 2024: When Catalyzer launches its first Mission: Ignition podcast this August, the topic will be still fresh and painful for many: the Robb Elementary school shooting on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. With depth and sensitivity, Catalyzer president and CEO, Steve Ingalls, explores some lessons with longtime law-enforcement professional Justin Smith and Catalyzer’s leadership and character-development expert, Dr. Joe Doty.
In an effort to honor those lost, those who survived, and those who still suffer, the panel seeks to “identify transcendent leadership principles, not point fingers,” according to Steve.
This episode may surprise some listeners expecting to hear about tactics and kinetics of law enforcement’s response to Uvalde’s violence. Most leaders won’t have to make split-second, life-and-death decisions, Steve allowed. But leaders’ moves can still profoundly affect employees’ lives, and not just at work. So, the panel focuses on a skill all leaders can develop—thinking—everything from training design to priorities in the moment, to filtering distractions amid cascading inputs.
Joe frames the discussion in terms of emotional intelligence, which is comprised of four domains: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship-management. The more mindful and controlled leaders remain during a crisis, the better they can respond with sound decisions, proper delegation, and timely communication.
Justin also keys in on fundamentals that apply broadly, including asking, 1) where and how can I as a leader can best influence the process? (whatever the context), and 2) What’s Important Now? (easy to remember using the acronym WIN).
“Beyond this first episode, future podcast discussions will likewise highlight how lessons from one organization, industry, or specialty readily transfer to other settings,” Steve said. “I envision more lively discussions with our team and experts from various professions and academic disciplines.”
Catalyzer is a Kansas-based, veteran-owned small business that believes servant leadership drives success and changes the world for the better. “We live out that conviction by offering tailored leadership development programs, one-on-one coaching, integral assessments, and studies that help you better understand your people and their place in your organization,” Steve said.
Since inception, Catalyzer has produced and led more than 525 separate programs across diverse industry sectors, developing more than 16,100 leaders nationwide. Organizations served include law enforcement, union/non-union manufacturing companies, community banks and their associations across seven states, engineering companies, and non-profits. Prominent organizations include McDonald’s, Utility Trailer Manufacturing, Tindall Corporation, Trideum Corporation, and the Boy Scouts.