Leading without the BS: Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Unstoppable Performance.

Wingspan Performance®
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Welcome to the leadership podcast that cuts the corporate crap and delivers real leadership strategies for entrepreneurs, business leaders who act like one, and high-performers who are f$cking done with mediocrity. If you're ready to get actionable leadership tools that boost team performance, drive growth, and lead with clarity (PLUS confidence!), this podcast is for you (and your team! Pass on the advice!).Hosted by Wingspan Performance® Founder & CEO, Cathy Maday, and VP of Operations and Leadership Advisor, Ivan Konermann, this podcast is for the ambitious, resourceful leaders who are sick of the fluff and committed to getting results. No cliches, no BS— PROVEN real-world leadership advice and actionable tools that work.Every episode is packed with field-tested strategies from over 22 years of behavioral leadership experience, using the Wingspan Performance System™—a proven leadership framework trusted by global enterprises and scrappy startups.Expect unfiltered conversations, real-world client success stories, and actionable tools for unstoppable leadership performance. Whether you're leading a team or growing your own business, these episodes will help you break through to the next level of behavioral leadership excellence.Ready to stop chasing empty success and start leading with strategic clarity, focused growth, and lasting confidence? This is your space, and it’s f$cking fun here. PS: Did we mention we don’t hold back on the swearing? You’ve officially been warned.

  1. 6D AGO

    Why Leaders Fail at Accountability (And How to Fix It)

    What if accountability wasn’t about conflict or confrontation? In this episode of Leading Without the B.S., Mike Johnson sits down with Wingspan Performance Advisor Bruce Stankavage to unpack one of the most misunderstood leadership skills: exercising accountability. Drawing from 26+ years as an entrepreneur, Bruce shares how avoiding accountability and unclear expectations quietly limit team performance - and what changed when he shifted his mindset. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    41 min

  2. APR 15

    How "Fuzzy Language" Is Killing Your Team's Performance

    Join us on today's episode as Mike Johnson talks with Danny Curlin, Plant Manager at Koppers Performance Chemicals, about how he overcame fuzzy language like “I’ll try,” “I think,” and “I need” that was quietly sabotaging his leadership and team performance. In this raw conversation on Leading Without the BS, Danny shares his journey from fast-tracked supervisor to plant manager, the costly impact of vague communication in manufacturing, and the practical shifts he made through Wingspan Performance personalized coaching. Learn why accountability starts with clear language, how Danny moved from forcing yes/no answers to rooting out confidence issues, and the surprising results: stronger manager-to-manager conversations, better peer collaboration, and a high-performing team that now operates with greater independence. Perfect for manufacturing leaders, plant managers, and anyone ready to replace autopilot habits with intentional, actionable communication that drives unstoppable results. Key takeaways include investing in soft skills, recognizing autopilot tendencies, and why what got you promoted won’t get you (or your team) to the next level. If fuzzy language is costing your operation time, clarity, or results, this episode delivers real-world strategies you can apply immediately. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    30 min

  3. APR 1

    Unspoken Expectations: The Real Cost in Safety & Leadership

    In this episode of Leading Without the BS, host Mike Johnson talks with Dianne Grote Adams, President & Owner of CFX Inc. and a health and safety expert with over 40 years of experience. They reveal how unspoken or unclear expectations lead to serious safety risks, wasted time and money, team misalignment, and frustration. Discover why leaders struggle to communicate behavioral and technical expectations clearly, the hidden costs of poor performance, and practical ways to fix it through direct conversations, better feedback, and aligned communication styles. Learn how to eliminate assumptions, reduce emotional fatigue, build trust, and keep everyone safe and performing at their best. Ideal for safety professionals, manufacturing leaders, and anyone driving unstoppable performance through clarity. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    34 min

  4. 12/22/2025

    Most Leadership Training Is Bullsh*t. What Now?

    Most leadership training is bullsh*t — not because leaders don’t care, but because it fails to change behavior where it actually matters. In this episode of Wingspan's Leading Without the B.S., Wingspan Performance® Leadership Performance Advisors Heather Hopkins and Mike Johnson unpack why traditional leadership training fails, and what actually works when leaders are under pressure, overloaded, and responsible for real outcomes. Drawing on decades of experience in manufacturing, engineering, and operations, Heather and Mike talk candidly about: Leaders showing up disengaged before training even startsHow multitasking and “being busy” quietly sabotage leadership effectivenessThe cost of unspoken expectations and assumed behaviorWhat real accountability looks like in meetings, conversations, and daily leadershipHow leadership performance always starts with ownership — not toolsThis isn’t theory. It’s a real-time look at how leaders think, speak, and show up, and how small shifts in language, questions, and presence create outsized impact. If you’re responsible for people and results, and tired of leadership training that sounds good but doesn’t stick, this conversation delivers what actually moves the needle. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    32 min

  5. 12/05/2025

    Leading Without the BS: 7 Patterns That Make Year-End Reviews Brutal (and How to Fix Them)

    Hosts: Ivan Konermann & Heather Hopkins Big Promise: Leaders will leave with practical shifts they can use now and year-round to make reviews easier, clearer, and less stressful. Core Theme: Bad reviews aren’t born in December—they’re built through avoidance or fuzziness all year. Strong reviews come from routine, honest, specific feedback tied to role expectations and observable behavior. 7 Patterns That Create Terrible Reviews Avoiding feedback all year → surprise at review time, damaged trust. Key line: “Choose your hard.” Deal with discomfort now or misery later.Lopsided reviews (all bad or all good) → demoralizing or misleading. Fix: highlight strengths + 2–3 priority growth areas.Making it about the manager → spotlight shifts off the employee. Fix: focus on employee patterns/impact; remove “I” from drafts.Manager underprepared → vague fluff or identity attacks (“personality”). Fix: role requirements + clear examples; reviews aren’t negotiations.Overweighting technical performance → behavior issues ignored, toxicity rewarded. Truth: how results happen matters.Fear of honesty with top performers (“they’ll quit”) → unhealthy team signal. Better question: what if they stay and keep harming the team?Waiting for the formal review to give feedback → first real convo comes too late. Fix: ongoing small course-corrections, not annual swerves.Memorable Lines: “Choose your hard.” • “Fluffy cloud feedback.” • Spotlight metaphor • Driving/steering analogy. Takeaways: Give timely feedback, be specific, keep priorities narrow, balance strengths + gaps, prepare for the conversation (not just the form), and hold behavior accountable. Call to Action: If you’re dreading reviews or writing them over holidays, you’re likely stuck in these patterns. Reach out to Wingspan for help building honest, effective feedback habits year-round. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    28 min

  6. 11/20/2025

    Increase the Know-Like-Trust…

    In this episode of Leading Without the BS, Ivan sits down with Wingspan Performance Advisor Heather Hopkins to explore her journey from mechanical engineering and manufacturing leadership to becoming a coach who helps leaders see—and fill—the gaps they never realized they had. Heather shares how her pioneering early career shaped her entrepreneurial mindset, how she grew into people leadership without formal leadership training, and how joining Wingspan transformed her understanding of what truly effective leadership requires. Key Themes 1. The Messages We Send (and Don’t Realize We’re Sending) The episode opens with a powerful reflection on how leaders unintentionally teach people: “You’re not capable.”“You’re not bright enough.”“I don’t think you can do this.”These subtle cues — often delivered through tone, delegation, or assumptions — can define someone’s trajectory for years. 2. Heather’s Engineering Origin Story Heather’s first job was with the construction company building her university. That experience: Inspired her to build and create.Cemented the belief that she was a “pioneer.”Sparked a deeply ingrained entrepreneurial spirit.3. Becoming a People Leader Without People-Leadership Training Although she spent most of her career leading people, Heather reflects that: Her technical background meant she rarely encountered training that truly addressed what it means to lead humans.She led teams without recognizing the blind spots she had.Looking back, she can now see her career with far more clarity.4. The Transformation of Joining Wingspan Heather shares that Wingspan opened a new door to understanding leadership, including: What “real” leadership requires beyond expertise.How to see patterns and behaviors she previously missed.How her past leadership decisions look different in hindsight.5. “Oh My Gosh, I Wish I Knew This 10 Years Ago” Ivan reflects — and Heather agrees — that many leaders only realize after working with Wingspan how much they wish they had known earlier. Common reactions: “I can’t believe what I used to do.”“I had no idea what I didn’t know.”“I wish I had these toolsText us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    31 min

  7. 11/05/2025

    Behavioral Performance at Work

    In this episode of Leading Without the BS, Cathy and Ivan dig into what Behavioral Performance actually looks like in real life — not as theory, but as in-the-moment mindset, behaviors, and communication. They explore how leaders and teams tend to slide into autopilot, especially at the end of the year or during fiscal crunch time, and how that leads to burnout, safety issues, mediocre meetings, and frantic “hair-on-fire” sprints. Through real stories from international teams and high-stakes planning sessions, they show how simple but deliberate shifts in behavior can transform performance, energize strategic conversations, and help teams finish 2025 strong while setting up a powerful start to 2026. Whether you're tired of the “hamster wheel” cycle or gearing up for critical 2026 planning, this episode gives you practical ways to disrupt autopilot, strengthen your team’s behavioral performance system, and finish the year strong. Call to Action If you’re: Heading into a tough quarter or year-end crunchKicking off major planning, strategy, or execution conversationsTired of “hamster wheel, hair-on-fire, crash, repeat”👉 Reach out to Wingspan to explore how a behavioral performance system can help your team finish 2025 strong and start 2026 in shape — not scrambling. At the very least:  Disrupt autopilot. Don’t wait until something breaks to change how you and your team work. Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    30 min

  8. 10/22/2025

    Behavioral Performance: How Leaders Turn Skills into Results

    Most leaders focus on fixing processes — and the real problems aren’t technical. They’re behavioral. In this episode, Cathy Maday, Founder, Owner & Advisor of Wingspan Performance® , and Ivan Konermann, VP & also an Advisor, pull back the curtain on the system that transforms high-stakes leaders worldwide. From construction sites to C-suites, they reveal how communication, mindset, and behavior drive every result that matters — at work and at home. They dig into what happens when “autopilot” takes over, how emotions hold critical data for performance, and why great leaders don’t manage behavior — they practice it. You’ll Hear: How Wingspan first defined Behavioral Performance and built it “boots-on-the-ground.”Why high-achievers fail when they rely too much on technical skill.What emotions can tell you about your blind spots.The three elements every leader must align: mindset, communication, and behavior.A story of one team that cut a multi-day problem into a 15-minute breakthrough.Why people are hired for skill — and fired for behavior.Listen if you’re ready to: ✔️ Replace stress and autopilot with real influence. ✔️ Translate frustration into clarity and control. ✔️ Lead teams that perform better — because they behave better. 🎧 Listen to Episode 9 of Leading Without the BS: Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Unstoppable Leadership. Booking team Workshops now - Schedule a 15 min chat with an Advisor so you're not left scrambling for team building exercises on Pinterest or relying on a karaoke night!  Text us for leadership performance advice! 4 Takeaways: Explore Wingspan’s Leader Team Coaching & Advising — the proven path for leaders ready to multiply performance across their teams. Schedule a Clarity Call with one of our expert Advisors right now!Subscribe to the Wingspan Newsletter — get practical leadership insights, podcast episode deep-dives, client spotlights, and weekly tools delivered straight to your inbox.Check out our YouTube Channel for unfiltered clips on behavioral performance and leadership actions that actually work.📲 Text us for leadership performance advice — real answers for real leaders.💥 Subscribe to Leading Without The BS now and share this episode with other leaders who want to stop spinning their wheels and start leading with intentional energy. Someone invested in you — now pass it forward. Share your thoughts on this episode and join the conversation on Instagram LinkedIn & Facebook!

    30 min
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5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Welcome to the leadership podcast that cuts the corporate crap and delivers real leadership strategies for entrepreneurs, business leaders who act like one, and high-performers who are f$cking done with mediocrity. If you're ready to get actionable leadership tools that boost team performance, drive growth, and lead with clarity (PLUS confidence!), this podcast is for you (and your team! Pass on the advice!).Hosted by Wingspan Performance® Founder & CEO, Cathy Maday, and VP of Operations and Leadership Advisor, Ivan Konermann, this podcast is for the ambitious, resourceful leaders who are sick of the fluff and committed to getting results. No cliches, no BS— PROVEN real-world leadership advice and actionable tools that work.Every episode is packed with field-tested strategies from over 22 years of behavioral leadership experience, using the Wingspan Performance System™—a proven leadership framework trusted by global enterprises and scrappy startups.Expect unfiltered conversations, real-world client success stories, and actionable tools for unstoppable leadership performance. Whether you're leading a team or growing your own business, these episodes will help you break through to the next level of behavioral leadership excellence.Ready to stop chasing empty success and start leading with strategic clarity, focused growth, and lasting confidence? This is your space, and it’s f$cking fun here. PS: Did we mention we don’t hold back on the swearing? You’ve officially been warned.

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