Cathy Maday and Ivan Konermann break down leadership ownership and how to spot victim mentality before you hire it. Learn Activating Language® red flags like “they told me to” and “we have to,” why top teams demand ownership at work, and interview questions that test accountability in leadership. Featuring Scott Brady’s mantra: Own it, run it, grow it.
Leaders don’t burn out from lack of effort - they burn out from grinding the wrong behaviors. Hosts Cathy Maday and Ivan Konermann break down what Scott Brady, Regional VP at Siemens, did differently: shifting from lagging key performance indicators to Key Behavior Indicators (KBIs) to improve leadership performance, accountability, and feedback without burnout. You’ll learn why doubling down on effort increases stress, how to define externally observable behavior, and how to coach performance management in a way top performers actually want.
There is no magic pill for high performance - just boring, consistent reps. In this episode of Leading Without the BS, Cathy and Ivan break down why high performers succeed: daily reps, showing up, and embracing the boring work. From Michael Phelps to competitive shooting to frontline managers, they show how high performance habits are built through unsexy daily practice in listening, language, and follow-through.
What if empathy is burning you out as a leader? Cathy Maday sits down with Heather Hopkins to break down empathy vs. compassion in leadership and how to drive leadership accountability without guilt, over-functioning, or burnout. Learn why jumping in the hole with your team backfires, how to hold behavioral accountability around boundaries, asking for help, and saying no - and how compassionate leadership keeps high standards without shielding your team. Perfect for business owners and managers navigating accountability, team performance, and healthy boundaries.
Leaders - stop trying to motivate others and start by asking the right questions. Wingspan Performance Advisors, Ivan and Heather, unpack "big-hat" leadership, why support roles belong at the table, and how to turn “who am I to speak up?” into real ownership and co-creation. If you're leading and looking for practical tools that deliver results without the BS, this one's for you.
Leaders often wait for permission to grow. Ivan Konermann and advisor Heather Hopkins unpack continuous growth, asking for the roles and skills you want, and turning hard feedback into fuel. Learn how ownership of your development - and a growth mindset - builds real executive presence.
Discover Mother Jones’ powerful Labor Day legacy and why true leadership starts with the inside game. Learn how personal hardship becomes purpose, how Activating Language® shifts victim thinking to ownership, and practical ways to master self-talk for stronger results.
Brandon Burns, Director of Manufacturing Operations at Veeder-Root, joins Ivan on Leading Without the BS to discuss how behavioral leadership, accountability, servant leadership, and intentional coaching can transform high-performing teams. Brandon shares how Wingspan Performance helped him become a more effective leader, challenge organizational roadblocks, develop his leadership team, and ultimately drive measurable business results.
Leaders often treat red tape and policies as immovable barriers and slip into victim mode. Ivan and Cathy break down how to flip that script: become a rebel for the business, negotiate exceptions with clear reasons, capture the real risks of the status quo, and start saying "no" more often than "yes". Drawing on special operations examples and real client conversations, this episode of Leading Without the BS shows how to operate on an even playing field, influence senior leaders, and create better outcomes for your team and the organization.
