A reflection from Jill Stuber, Catalyst Co-Founder
One of the most memorable pieces of feedback I ever received from a team member?
“Just respond to my email.”
At first, I was confused.
I’d asked for a deliverable, they sent it, I used it. In my mind, that was efficient. Why add another email to their inbox with a “Thanks”?
But that wasn’t the point.
What felt efficient to me felt ungrateful to them.
And that moment — small as it was — became one of the biggest leadership lessons I’ve ever ...
If your daily stand-up is just a status update, you’re missing the point.
Because in food leadership, the way you use those 15 minutes reveals everything about how your culture works—or doesn’t.
👀 What You’re Really Communicating
Most leaders don’t realize it, but rhythms shape reality.
When your team shows up every day to “report out,” here’s what they’re learning:
- Speak fast, don’t ask questions
- We’re here to perform, not connect
- Leadership = efficiency, not support
That might not b...
Most leaders are great at pushing through.
It’s how they got to where they are—by holding on.
To responsibility.
To high standards.
To whatever it takes.
But here’s the truth no one tells you:
To grow as a leader, you have to learn how to release.
🔥 You can’t bring in new if you’re clinging to the old
Holding on feels safe. Even productive.
But in reality, the wrong patterns create noise, not clarity.
- Control
- Over-functioning
- Perfection-as-performance
- “Just get it done” leadership
Thes...
You’ve said it. We’ve all said it:
"We just need people to take more ownership."
But what if your leadership habits are unintentionally training people not to?
The Control Trap
In high-pressure environments like food manufacturing and production, it’s easy for leaders to default to control. We manage tasks, make decisions quickly, and expect people to follow through.
And it works—until it doesn’t.
Because control creates compliance, not commitment. And cultures built on compliance don’t gr...
