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.
Leaders who are too "easygoing" or overly composed often confuse teams about priorities and urgency. Cathy and Ivan explore how a compressed intensity range (think operating only at a 2–3.5 out of 10) sends mixed signals and practical ways to expand range with voice, body language, and Activating Language®. Learn why intensity is information, how positive intensity (curiosity, excitement) works, and why shifting from “appropriate” to “effective” drives better influence and performance.
Leaders from technical backgrounds often over-explain, which quietly destroys influence, credibility, and team contribution. Cathy and Ivan break down why saying more works against you, how it signals “I don’t want your input,” and simple fixes: cap your talking to 20–30 seconds, cut 30% of your words in your emails, and the $5 Jar Challenge that fixes over-explaining FAST. These are proven tools you can use in the next meeting to lead without the BS.
Lydia Lightner, Director of Sales & Marketing at Scalzo Hospitality, sits down to talk about the moment she stopped managing her team's problems and started building people who could solve their own. She walks through the internal shift from technical performance to behavioral leadership and the community crisis that put it all to the test, all while maintaining a healthy, high-performance culture.
Wingspan Performance leaders discuss navigating tough business decisions with no clear answers, the power of challenging ideas, receiving feedback, and building high-performing teams. Learn practical strategies from the Wingspan Performance System™ for better decision-making, cross-functional input, and leadership growth from real hospitality crises and everyday executive scenarios.
Wingspan Performance leadership advisors (and spouses!) Cathy Maday and Ivan Konermann discuss why accountability is essential for retention in today's tight labor market. Learn how to move past the fear of holding people accountable, strengthen relationships, and use the Wingspan Performance System™ to boost performance without sacrificing trust. Their real-world stories as spouses who lead together make this one worth your time.
