The Manager’s Compass

Welcome to the practice of Leadership Cartography™. Each post maps the terrain of modern leadership—helping you navigate challenges, build confidence, and lead with steadiness.

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Why Most Leadership Development Keeps You Lost (And What Actually Works)
Leadership Cartography™ Catherine Leadership Cartography™ Catherine

Why Most Leadership Development Keeps You Lost (And What Actually Works)

You've taken the assessments. Read the books. Hired the coach. But you still feel like you're performing leadership instead of practicing it. Here's what I've learned after 25 years: The leadership development industry has been solving the wrong problem. We've been asking "What should leaders do?" when we should ask "Who are you when you lead?" There are five distinct navigation pathways—Heart, Support, Purpose, Together, Precision—and understanding yours changes everything.

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The Halloween Costume I Almost Missed: Why This Company Exists

The Halloween Costume I Almost Missed: Why This Company Exists

Halloween night, early '90s. I couldn't leave my shift, so the babysitter brought my son to the restaurant so I could see his costume for five minutes before going back to work. That's what "making it work" looked like when you're a single mom running a restaurant, living in survival mode, being told you're not leadership material. Here's why I started The Manager's Mind Mapping Company—and why no manager should have to lead without a map.

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Leadership Cartography: The Discipline That Emerged Into Existence Over a Lifetime of Following the Trail

Leadership Cartography: The Discipline That Emerged Into Existence Over a Lifetime of Following the Trail

As a child, I spent hours exploring maps with my fingertips. I would trace topographical lines and imagine myself traveling through elevations I'd never actually walk. In May 2024, I created an image of the mapmaker's room—not knowing why, just knowing I needed to see it. Eighteen months later, I finally named what I'd been building my entire life: Leadership Cartography™.

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