Education & History
Fig Authentic: Katie P. Desiderio
Katie P. Desiderio is a passionate advocate for personal growth and leadership, dedicated to helping others realize their potential.
Katie P. Desiderio is a passionate advocate for personal growth and leadership, dedicated to helping others realize their potential. As a professor at Moravian University and co-author of The Beekeeper: Pollinating Your Organization for Transformative Growth, she inspires audiences to step out of their comfort zones and confidently embrace the challenges associated with personal development. At the core of Katie’s work is the belief that mindfulness and self-reflection drive personal and professional growth.
“Many people think leadership begins with a title or managing a team,” Katie explained. “However, true leadership starts with self-understanding. What we dedicate our time and energy to is what flourishes.”
Her journey as an educator inspired her to collaborate with her growth partner Michael Frino on a book designed to cultivate leaders. Using the metaphor of bees as pollinators, they draw parallels between the way bees contribute to the hive and how individuals can spark growth and change in their own lives.
“Writing a leadership fable pushed us outside our comfort zone,” Katie admitted. “However, we aimed to encourage readers to embrace discomfort, approach leadership with a beginner’s mindset, and cultivate curiosity, along with a readiness to learn and unlearn.”
Through her role at Moravian University and her writing, Katie is a champion for change, inspiring others to lead with authenticity. “I struggled in my own leadership journey, often trying to emulate others. It was only when I embraced being authentically myself and recognized that ‘I am me’ that I began to see endless possibilities,” she reflected.
Katie and Michael’s next book in their leadership series, The Stargazer: Unleashing the Brilliance of Building Brighter Teams, is available for pre-order on Amazon and will debut in March 2025. Their Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Beekeeper, makes an impactful gift and a powerful investment in personal leadership development.
Want to discover more local? Follow Fig on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for inspiration.
