Why Betting on the Few Breaks the Many

Somewhere along the way, “invest in your top performers” became the go-to leadership strategy.

And on the surface? It makes sense.
They’re already delivering. They’ve got potential.
But here’s what most leaders don’t realize:

When you over-index on a few, you undercut your culture.

⚠️ When growth becomes exclusive, so does impact

Most orgs build around their top 10–15%—those seen as “ready now.”
They pour in coaching, exposure, stretch projects. And it works... until it doesn’t.

Because while you’re focused on the few, here’s what’s quietly happening:

• The rest of your team is checking out
• Your “stars” are burning out
• Capacity is shrinking, not scaling

“A strategy that depends on a few eventually breaks under pressure.”
— Jill Stuber, Co-Founder, Catalyst Food Leaders

📊 The data backs it up

• 58% of managers say they never received any formal training before stepping into leadership
  Source: Zippia/CareerBuilder
  
  
• Companies with performance-enhancing cultures had 682% revenue growth over 11 years—compared to 166% for those without
  [Source: Kotter & Heskett, Corporate Culture and Performance]
  
  
• Teams with high-quality leadership report +29% retention and +40% engagement
  Source: Sci-Tech Today
  
  

🧭 Leadership isn’t a reward. It’s a system.

The most resilient cultures don’t rely on individual heroics.
They embed leadership growth at every level.

That’s why we built the Catalyst Method™:

✨ Spark: Clarity about what needs to shift
🔄 Shift: New rhythms and patterns, not just new goals
🔁 Sustain: Systems, support, and accountability that make change stick

It’s not about pushing harder.
It’s about building smarter.

🔥 What culture are you creating?

If you looked at who gets access to leadership development in your org…
What would it tell you?

What would it say about who’s valued—and who’s not?

Because culture-wide growth doesn’t happen by default.
It happens by design.

🚀 Want to design what’s next?

📥 Download our free guide:
Make the Case for Development 
→ A resource to help you advocate for culture-shifting investment

🎟️ Register for the Catalyst Leadership Summit  
→ Early bird pricing for email subscribers: $50 off through Dec 31

👉 Save your seat for the Summit HERE  
👉 Grab the free guide HERE