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As a catalyst, you are a change agent who sparks, ignites, and accelerates transformation and progress throughout the organization. While you remain steady in the solid foundation of who you are, you trigger change all around you. You are charismatic and forward-thinking, and you love raising the consciousness of those around you and intentionally influencing them to bring beneficial changes. You envision grand ideas and see them through to the final, concrete product. Your creativity and curiosity result in clarity and focus.
As a leader, your curiosity challenges those around you to grow in their thinking. Your passion infuses your teammates with energy and excitement, encouraging greater efficiency in their work through your charisma. You are a great asset even in times of upheaval, as you love to explore the unknown and do not back down from challenges, and those around you are thankful for your steadfast nature in the midst of uncertainty. Your gift of curiosity helps remove barriers to change ultimately helping people shift from what can’t be done to what can be done.
You possess a strong ability to communicate visionary ideals and abstract concepts to those around you, helping others see what is possible, and they know that they can rely on you to see these visions through. You have high standards and a natural ability to encourage the best talents of those around you to shine through, elevating your team to operate on a higher level. You find that others come to you when they need magic to happen, and you love the opportunity to make dreams come true.
As a catalyst, you seek new possibilities and know that the right team can make it happen. You emanate a powerful energy that motivates productivity, accelerates change, and inspires others to strive for more than that status quo. You live by Ghandi’s motto, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” You know all change starts with your abillity to change yourself while you can stand firmly in your identity, often providing a feeling of security in times of great changes for those around you.
You fear unintended consequences, being boxed in, and your ideas being dismissed. Fear is a healthy emotion that alerts us when it is time to get prepared. Fear alerts us to the fact that something needs assessing. When you live in the space of fear it can become paralyzing and confusing. The feelings of anxiety and overwhelm can present themselves as guarded and tense. The opportunity is to embrace the fear as your friend. Shift the shallow breath to a deep breath and ask yourself, “Is this fear justified?” If so, “What do you need to prepare for?” It is also an opportunity to shift your story. Are you telling the story of beneficial influence vs manipulation, empowering vs flattering, or encouraging vs demanding?
So, before you read the shadow side, I invite you to see this as an opportunity for growth. Feedback is often not your friend as you strive for the betterment of everything around you, and your inner critic may tell you that feedback means you are not doing this well. Your intentions are pure, yet they can create discord in your collaboration.
Because you see beyond what is immediately apparent, you have a strong ability to envision something better, and that is a powerful asset to your team. When the catalyst is not serving you, though, you may find yourself frustrated by hesitance from those around you. It is important to remember that not everyone is as comfortable venturing into the unknown as you are. Do not be discouraged if someone is unable to immediately see your grand vision, and know that in time your ability to bring these visions to life will allow those around you to believe in greater possibilities.
Because you are such a charismatic presence, you influence people around you with ease. This skill can bring truly beneficial changes for your team, but when the catalyst is not serving you to be the best you can be, you may find yourself influencing others for your own purposes rather than the collective goals of the team. It is important to remind yourself of team goals and keep your own goals in a separate lane. This can help you avoid making those around you feel manipulated rather than positively influenced. In order for the best changes to happen, others must be able to trust that your ideas are good for everyone, so they can be excited about taking part in the process.
As a catalyst, you inspire change all around you and you are very in tune with what changes need to take place, but constantly implementing big changes can leave others who are more fearful of change and the unknown feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Timing is critically important. Remember that not all change has to be immediate, and it is sometimes best to allow room for others to catch up to you rather than leaving them behind. The change will come, and if you leave room for others to move at a more comfortable pace, they will be less likely to feel resentment toward the changes. Once you light the spark, trust that others can move forward without more sparking. Because of your inspiration, things happen when you are not in the room too!
Life is not always easy for the catalyst. You are constantly aware of what could be better and what changes need to take place, and this desire for progress can leave you feeling restless. It can be tiresome to explain ideas to those who do not possess your ability to see that greater things are possible, and if you are not given the space to make these changes happen it can be very discouraging.
Catalysts make great marketing strategists, organizers, project managers, and designers.
Ghandi
Steve Jobs
Gandalf in Lord of the rings
Rachel Carson.
What questions need to be asked?
Am I expecting too much too soon?
Is this moving forward at a pace that I can accept?
Have I given others a space to weigh in on this change?
Can I accept that unintended consequences may happen with this change?