We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Leytem and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My dream job didn’t exist, so I decided to create it. After spending a decade in the corporate world, I realized I was unfulfilled. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful for the skills I learned and the people I met, but something was missing.

What I really wanted to do was blend my passions for leadership, mindfulness, and fishing. I knew I could help others in a unique way if I was able to create a unique atmosphere and modality for developing leaders. I decided to place a wager on myself and got busy writing my first book titled, “Catching Leadership.”

The funny thing is, I probably wouldn’t have written, “Catching Leadership” if it wasn’t for a comment a previous boss of mine made. When asked if he had any regrets in his career, he said, “I wish I would have written a book when I was younger, before I had a family and a business to run.” Soaking in the wisdom from those around me, I decided to not let history repeat itself in my own career.

The first book naturally paved the way for the second titled, “Keep Your Head In The Wind” – 8 Timeless Lessons for Mindful Leaders which was published just a few months ago. The beautiful thing about taking action on a dream is it allows you to take bolder action on the next. I’m really proud of this book, as it takes a more esoteric perspective toward leadership development, one that I would not have felt comfortable writing just a few years ago.

People and mindfulness are at the center of everything we do at Catching Leadership, it’s our “why.”

Our motto is “People are our business, Fishing is our medicine.”

We hope to see you out on the water someday!

Tight Lines!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Inspired to make a change in my life, I decided to ditch the high stress traveling consultant lifestyle to spearhead a lifelong dream.

The question that needed to be answered was: How could leadership development resonate with more people in a non-threatening way while still promoting elements of mental health and well-being? The answer was something I had stewed on for over a decade before deciding to make a splash in 2019 with the inception of Catching Leadership.

It needed to be different from other cookie cutter corporate models of leadership, it needed to be authentic and get at the root of most leadership challenges, understanding people, psychology, and mindfulness.

It dawned on me one day that nature serves as the greatest teacher in life when you are willing to pause, appreciate, and observe the story it tries telling us each day.

As the world continues to speed up, I encourage leaders to slow down and go inward. The answers to life’s most difficult questions can usually be found within.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
OB is where it’s at. Timeless and eclectic.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank my wife, Alisha Leytem, for giving me the nudge I needed to start Catching Leadership on my 30th birthday. Without her support and encouragement, I may have never taken the first step to make my dreams come true.

Website: https://www.catchingleadership.com

Instagram: @catchingleadership

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-leytem-a8971433/

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