Leading Without the BS

Podcast

Ep. 28: How Strong Leaders Actively Negotiate Red Tape

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.

Podcast

Ep. 27: Expand Your Leadership Intensity Range Beyond Calm and Composed

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.

Podcast

Ep. 26: Why Leaders Lose Impact With Too Many Words

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.

Podcast

Ep. 25: Why Mastering Your Inside Game Is Key To Navigating Crisis

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.

Podcast

Ep. 24: How Great Leaders Make Better Decisions Through Healthy Sparring

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.

Podcast

Ep. 23: Weak Accountability Will Lose Your Best People

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.

Podcast

Ep. 22: When Leaders Have “Too Many” Answers

If you're still telling yourself you "have to have all the answers," it's time to challenge that and unlock your leadership performance by releasing that pressure. Wingspan Performance experts explore the powerful shift from relying on technical expertise to mastering better questions, behavioral leadership, and deliberately co-creating with your team. These key shifts can help drive the performance results for teams and leaders ready to break through their current ceiling.

Podcast

Ep. 21: Cathy on Building Wingspan: Healthy High Performance Without the BS

Discover the origins of the Wingspan Performance System™ with founder Cathy Maday. Shay Prosser, founder of North 12 Partners, flips the script and gets Cathy in the hot seat to share how she built a practical behavioral system for healthy high performance, Advancing Questions®, Activating Language®, and leader behaviors that drive results for technical and seasoned leaders. This no fluff conversation explores the real-world tools created for leaders desiring sustainable success, strong relationships, and personal ownership.