Let’s get something straight - leadership isn’t a comfy chair and a title on LinkedIn. It’s a warzone of decisions, risks, failure, growth, and transformation. That’s why when I first heard the phrase Ad Astra Per Aspera - “To the stars through hardship” - in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it hit me like a punch to the gut.

Because that is Catalyst Leadership.

This isn’t just a pretty Latin phrase thrown around in a courtroom scene. It’s the mantra for every leader who chooses to move beyond playing defense. It’s for the executive who stops polishing reports and starts disrupting industries. It’s for the founder who throws off the comfortable routine and decides to rebuild everything from the ground up.

You want to lead? Then get ready for the aspera - the rough patches, the doubt, the sleepless nights, the awkward conversations, the heavy accountability. You will be challenged. You will be misunderstood. You will get bruised. But if you keep moving? If you keep learning, growing, and pushing? You will earn your stars.

In Catalyst Leadership (coming in May 2025), I don’t sugarcoat the journey. I lay it out like it is. You’re not here to maintain systems. You’re here to break them, rebuild them, and evolve your people. You’re not here to be liked. You’re here to ignite momentum, challenge mindsets, and set fires under stagnant teams. And that means walking straight into the “hard stuff.”

Hard stuff like:

Saying no to legacy practices that make everyone comfortable but produce zero results
Calling out mediocrity - even when it’s coming from your top producer
Risking your reputation on a vision others can’t see yet

This is the work of a Catalyst. And no, it’s not for everyone. Most people want the results but don’t want the pain. Most want the promotion, not the pressure. But not you. You’re here because you’re done playing it safe. You’re here because you’re ready to earn your place in the sky.

That’s Ad Astra Per Aspera.

It’s the path from job-holder to visionary. From manager to movement-maker. From boss to builder of empires.

So, get ready for Catalyst Leadership - it’s not a how-to manual. It’s a challenge. It’s a mirror. It’s a call to action. You’ll find the tools, yes. But more importantly, you’ll find the mindset required to endure the “aspera” and claim the stars.

Because in the end, leadership isn’t given. It’s earned - through fire, grit, and relentless forward motion.

Let’s go get the stars.