The moments you’re most under pressure are the moments your team and those around you remember most.

Not the calm days. Not the wins.
But the heat. The urgency. The curveballs.
That’s when leadership patterns get revealed—or rewritten.

And in food and manufacturing environments, pressure isn’t the exception. It’s the rhythm.

When firefighting becomes your leadership style

One of our clients—an operations leader in a national food brand—described their team dynamic like this:

“We’re so used to...

Here’s the truth most leaders won’t say out loud:

You’re already running out of time.

Not time in the year—but time to lead differently before 2025 becomes another blur of meetings, fires, and “maybe next quarters.”

We hear it from food industry leaders all the time:

“We meant to shift the culture this year… but we got caught up in the day-to-day.”

The pace of this industry doesn’t slow down. But leadership is a choice you make in moments—not quarters. And this season?  It might be your las...

You’ve got goals to hit before the year’s out.
Productivity targets. Culture shifts. Maybe even a major transformation in how your team works or leads.

But here’s the question most food leaders skip: Is your team actually ready for what you’re asking them to do?  Because if they’re not—and you haven’t checked—you’re not leading them to results.  You’re leading them to resistance.

The assumption that breaks culture.

At Catalyst, we work with food industry leaders who are running fast, aiming hi...

We’ve all been there.

You attend a webinar.
You journal in the morning.
You have the 1:1s. You check the box.

But if you're being honest… you're still leading the same way you always have. This is autopilot leadership. And the cost? It’s deeper than we realize.

What Is Autopilot Leadership?

Autopilot leadership happens when we think we’re doing the work of leadership—but we’re just going through the motions.

It sounds like:

• “I’m already a good listener.”
• “I went to that training last y...

In the fast-moving, cross-functional world of food manufacturing and operations, influence is essential—especially for those who don’t have direct authority. Maybe you're a quality supervisor needing production to adjust processes. Or a senior director driving a change initiative. In any of these roles, pushing people doesn’t work—not for long. Real influence isn’t about controlling outcomes. It’s about building trust-based relationships that make others want to move with you.

The Influence Myt...

In today’s food production environments, culture isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a business imperative. From food safety to employee retention, an empowered culture influences every layer of operations. When frontline employees feel valued and leaders are equipped to support growth, the entire organization benefits. But creating that kind of culture doesn’t happen by accident—it requires intention, alignment, and daily practice.

In this post, we’ll explore how food manufacturers can build an empower...

We all know food safety matters. But knowing isn’t the issue. The issue is how we lead.

Across the food industry, leaders are doubling down on protocols, procedures, and audits—yet food safety culture still struggles to move forward. Why?

Because we’re focusing on compliance, not commitment.

Compliance is about rules, checklists, and documentation. Necessary? Yes. Sufficient? Absolutely not.
Commitment is different. It’s personal. It’s what drives someone to speak up when they see something o...

How do you keep showing up as the leader you want to be—week after week, meeting after meeting? In this episode of Real Talk with Jill & Tia, we explore strategies for maintaining momentum in your leadership growth.  It takes more than just good intentions—it requires rhythm, reinforcement, and reflection. 

Whether you're fresh out of Catalyst’s Technical Leader Bootcamp, leading a plant floor team, or guiding strategy in a corporate setting, leadership growth isn’t a one-time event—it’s a prac...

Sometimes what looks like “improvement” is really avoidance in disguise. In this week’s Real Talk with Jill & Tia, we’re naming 3 common ways leadership quietly takes a backseat—masked by process changes, shiny tools, or CI initiatives. These approaches can be helpful, but when they replace courageous leadership instead of enabling it, teams start to feel the disconnect. We’ll explore what it looks like when people sidestep leadership, how to spot it, and what to do instead. Whether you're a lea...

The countdown is on for Catalyst Food Leader’s Leadership Summit focusing on Advancing Everyday Leaders, Driving Extraordinary Results!

This week on Real Talk with Jill & Tia, we’re pulling back the curtain to share behind-the-scenes insights on how this event came together and why it’s a game-changer for food industry leaders. From designing impactful sessions to curating expert speakers, we’ll highlight key takeaways and what attendees can expect. Plus, we’ll share tips to help you maximize ...

Lately, it feels like uncertainty is everywhere. DEI programs are being rolled back, immigration enforcement is creating fear in communities, and for many people, the future feels shaky at best. You may not see it outright, but people around you—your colleagues, team members, even friends—are carrying a lot right now.

As leaders, we can’t control everything happening in the world, but we can control how we show up. And in times like these, small moments of kindness and connection matter more th...

What does it take to become the best version of yourself—both personally and professionally? This week on Real Talk with Jill & Tia, we’re joined by Steve Sorenson of Johnsonville, who believes that growth happens through experiences, mentorship, and intentional choices. He’ll challenge us to think about how we spend each day of our lives and what we’re truly working toward. Learning alone isn’t enough—success comes from application. Join us as we explore how to take ownership of our growth, dev...