Success Secrets and Stories
To share management leadership concepts that actually work.
You are responsible for your development as a leader. Don't expect the boss to invest the training budget in your career. Consider this podcast as an investment of time in your career, with a bit of management humor added at the same time.
Success Secrets and Stories
We hit 100 episodes, Celebrating with a discussion leadership and a new book coming out soon...
A milestone is only meaningful if it changes what we do next. We’re celebrating 100 episodes by unpacking the MBR leadership framework, mapping advise from avoidance to transformation, and showing how data, story, and practice experiences combine to create lasting impact you can measure and feel.
We break down the eight MBR competencies—strategic foresight, global citizenship, disruptive mindset, people-first leadership, value creation, curiosity, inclusion, and agility—and connect them to the realities of modern work. You’ll hear how experiential learning and peer coaching turn abstract values into daily habits, why 360 feedback accelerates growth, and how podcast analytics mirror the way high-performing organizations track leadership effectiveness. We also preview our forthcoming book, a narrative-meets-seminar that follows Jack’s journey through the gears: from control and burnout to clarity, trust, accountability, and legacy. The book's working title is "The Fifth Gear of Leadership."
The conversation moves from global reach and AI-driven insights to practical dashboards and rituals leaders can adopt right now: explicit decision logs, feedback cadences, stakeholder mapping, and small, repeatable experiments that compound over time. If you lead remote teams, shape culture, or simply want to build a sturdier operating system for change, this one’s designed to be both inspiring and actionable.
If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a leader you trust, and leave a review. Tell us which gear you’re shifting into next and what topic you want us to explore in the next 100.
Presented by John Wandolowski and Greg Powell
Well, hello, and welcome to our podcast, Success, Secrets, and Stories. I'm your host, John Wondolowski, and I'm here with my co-host and friend, Greg Powell. Greg? Hey everybody. And when we put together this podcast, we wanted to put out a helping hand and help that next generation and help answer the question of what does it mean to be a leader? Today we want to talk about a subject that I think supports that concept. So in our leadership travels, we are celebrating our 100th episode. Broadcasting this October. So congratulations, buddy, we've done it.
SPEAKER_00:John, thank you. Yes, we did. And it's been a lot of fun along the way. So when you hit a major milestone and suddenly realize just how far you've come, you really take a pause and think about it. So today we're diving into an incredible achievement. 100 episodes of success, secrets, and stories. And the NBR leadership approach that's transforming how we think about leadership development.
SPEAKER_01:And you know, it's kind of remarkable when you think about it. 100 episodes representing thousands of minutes on leadership insights that we've talked about, stories of transformation. And really, it's a framework in how we have helped people. Uh, and the bizarre part, we've done it globally. We have a global audience that is listening.
SPEAKER_00:I think that's outstanding. It is so cool, John. And what's especially fascinating is how the MBR leadership framework has evolved. Can you break down the eight key competencies that make it so unique?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, a lot about what you and I have been concentrating on are things like the strategic foresight or how we handle opportunities in terms of like being a good global citizen, disruptive mindsets, passion and commitment to the job, value creation. Uh really the part that I enjoy a lot is the people-first approach. And those things kind of move into things like diversity and inclusion. So it moves into people-first concepts, and that kind of fits in really well to diversity and inclusion, and the ability to be curious and the agility to be able to adapt.
SPEAKER_00:So wait, John, those sound incredibly relevant to today's challenges. How were these specific competencies identified?
SPEAKER_01:True. And fascinating, it really does relate to Dr. Durst's work. And he's done it a while ago, but it was based on doing in-depth studies of future leaders' competencies to interview senior leaders. And his goal was to ensure that he was addressing both the leadership needs and the future ambitions of those leaders across different sections of business, consulting, accounting, healthcare, and the list goes on and on.
SPEAKER_00:You know what's interesting, John? This reminds me of how podcast metrics have evolved as well. You know, because now we're looking at things like engagement, retention, global reach, very similar to how leadership impact is measured.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it is an interesting parallel. And modern leadership development and podcasting success are both data-driven. We have seen data information on the Internet, and it really helps us seasoned leaders, such as you and I, keep up with what is considered a more relevant podcast. And really, it's a lot of help from the AI world in terms of looking at the data and giving us some chewable things to talk about.
SPEAKER_00:So, speaking of data, what are some of the concrete results you've seen from implementing the MBR approach?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, those some of those results are just remarkable. And the framework actually uses the experiences and applied learning combined with peer-to-peer learning that has influenced leaders within their organizations. And probably the buzzword most involved is being more self-aware of their impact as leaders. You know, that sounds incredibly practical, very common sense. Yeah, it is. I mean, that's the bottom line. It's particularly effective in terms of someone who is a little bit more along the lines of pragmatic and really uses a scientific approach in order to test the real-world solutions and how these concepts are applied and work.
SPEAKER_00:You know, reaching 100 episodes of Success, Secrets, and Stories really showcases the impact of consistent leadership development, doesn't it? It does. It does.
SPEAKER_01:And it you can never stop learning. And that's that's probably the most fascinating part of the podcast, is it embodies all these other new leadership competencies, especially that they focus on things that you learn on a perspective that is global rather than local. And that I think is really an interesting part of what we've seen and how we've adapted our podcast. Very interesting, John. And can you elaborate on that connection a little bit? Okay, I think I can. Let's see, podcasting requires a strategic foresight and a connected plan. Uh sort of like the global citizenship in terms of addressing diversity. But it also talks about how to be a disruptive leader and that mindset of presenting new ideas and really creating that friction that you're really looking for in order to try to gain new ideas.
SPEAKER_00:So, you know, that's really interesting. So the medium itself becomes a tool for leadership development.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. You know, and so what's interesting is statistics support this. In 2025, they're looking at over 500 million podcast listeners worldwide. And that's an incredible platform of sharing these kinds of leadership insights. Those numbers are staggering, but particularly exciting is how it aligns with the MBR format and how we've seen a global reach of people hearing it and actually sharing the impact of applying MBR on a global sale.
SPEAKER_00:So let's talk about celebration. How should organizations mark these kinds of milestones in a way that reinforces leadership principles?
SPEAKER_01:You know, celebration in itself is a key point of recognizing that you've done something different and you're changing your focus. You have a different kind of value creation. And those are the kind of things that you're looking at in terms of an MBR competency. It's not just about marking time, but it's demonstrating the impact of change. And really, leaders are supposed to be doing that to make that impact meaningful.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that's right. That's kind of like how we're using this 100 episode to share insights rather than just patting ourselves on the back, which we deserve.
SPEAKER_01:No, no, we don't. No, we don't. Uh we're we're trying to help people um really to look at how to reflect on their own competencies and putting people first. And that's what you and I have been doing. We've been putting the people, our listeners, first and trying to give them something that would be of value. And and really that's the part that I enjoy the most.
SPEAKER_00:I couldn't agree more, John. So, how is the NBR framework adapting to future leadership challenges?
SPEAKER_01:Well, you know, the bottom line is the framework is curiosity and the ability to inherently adapt. If you talk about change, those are the words that they are always talking about. And the businesses in this landscape are changing all the time. You have to be agile just to keep up with what's happening in the world and be able to change.
SPEAKER_00:You know, that makes sense. And the focus on a disruptive mindset ensures leaders are always prepared for emerging challenges and those opportunities. You know, you mentioned experiential learning earlier. How does that play out in real practice?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, okay. In the real world, there are things such as competencies. And really, if you think about it, leadership is a laboratory.
SPEAKER_00:So that's a good metaphor. Can you give us an example? Sure.
SPEAKER_01:Uh one involves leaders that are uh working in actual organizations where the challenges are being met and leadership is is trying to set the goals, but at the same time, they are working with experienced executives as coaches. So it combines not only the strategic foresight of these experienced executives that's helping local management, but it's a value creation. And it's really the organization as a whole putting people first. And that kind of thinking of not only the staff, but the leadership has to change. That particular leader is doing it on both fronts at the same time.
SPEAKER_00:So you know that's a real practical application, John. Now, what's remarkable is how this hands-on approach leads to measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness. So let's talk about metrics. How do organizations' metrics measure the success of these leadership development efforts?
SPEAKER_01:Aaron Powell You know, they're probably doing the same thing that we see in podcasts. So they're they're looking at quantitative data, like every business environment that you and I have been involved in, quantitative and measurable formats of data helping to tell you whether you have a good performance matrix or not. And it's really based on what you're seeing with as far as sales and how you're dealing with the stakeholders. And really in a 360 kind of environment, we're dealing with our employees, their feedback on whether we're coming across and they're hearing what we're trying to do as far as leadership.
SPEAKER_00:Now that is fascinating. What's fascinating is the parallel between content metrics and leadership impact. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:You know, podcasts are really based on engagement. They're really looking at, you know, people who are listening, retention of listeners. And this leadership program, I think, is kind of interesting. We're seeing a very small audience, but we can see it growing over time. And our reach is not just here in the States, it's actually on every continent, which is a fascinating element of doing this podcast that we've reached that many people.
SPEAKER_00:And really, really cool. John, what would you say has been the most surprising insight that you've seen from these 100 episodes? Hmm.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Probably the most surprising is how universal these leadership concepts are. And it is irregardless of your industry or your geography, good leadership is good leadership. That's the bottom line.
SPEAKER_00:You know, that's really interesting. And actually, it validates the NBR framework emphasis on global citizenship and diversity and inclusion as key core competencies. So looking ahead, what trends do you see shaping the future of leadership development?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I see uh really an increase of digital literacy and emotional intelligence, AI, the world of AI, and the ability to lead in our remote teams and how if you're going to be a global environment, you have to be able to speak to the audience that sometimes you never get a chance to shake their hand. You have to know how to effectively communicate to people who are remotely working. That's the future.
SPEAKER_00:So, how does the MBR framework address these very clear emerging needs?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you know, that's the challenge. And these competencies in terms of being adaptable is probably the most important, especially with that disruptive mindset and really finding that curiosity in your employees and pushing for that innovation. Leaders need to innovate to make those changes possible.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, John, that makes a lot of sense. And the emphasis on continuous learning ensures leaders stay current with evolving business needs and I'll say opportunities.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and you know, I've been working on a book, and the book is actually my attempt at using the one-minute manager style from Ken Blanchard. And it's a novel about business, which is uh really a unique application of um how Ken Blanchard wanted to tell the story. And I've always thought about that concept and how we could take MBR to the next level using that as a key. So just for fun, I asked Dr. Durst if he would like to try something like that. And we've been working on this project for a while and pretty close to uh actually getting the book ready for sale.
SPEAKER_00:Ah, yes, the fifth gear of leadership. I love how you and Dr. Durst use Jack's journey to illustrate the emotional and relational shifts leaders go through. It's not just a framework, it's a story that resonates.
SPEAKER_01:I'm glad that you like the book, and that that really is one of the fun parts of doing this podcast with you. But it was our goal. We wanted a novel that would bring to life the experience of this leadership course. And it's not just a theory, but it's transformational. Jack is our fictional hero, and through his lens, the reader gets to experience the MBR process. Not only at its core, the book is more than just a story, it's an invitation. An invitation? Yes. It's designed to feel like you're sitting in the seminar room with Dr. Durst, absorbing his lessons like I did. Through the dialogue, the reflection, and the real-world application. Dr. Durst has done a really remarkable way of putting on paper the way that he was able to teach. Wonderful examples that were engaging, and the insights were actually grounded in his experience and his approach to leadership that felt very personable, very actionable. So would you call the book both narrative and kind of a seminar? Exactly. It's a hybrid. It's a little bit about Jack's journey and also an immersive classroom experience. Readers walk through like the five steps, or as I, as we've called it, the five gears of leadership, representing a deeper level of ownership, empathy, and legacy, which is probably the interesting element. And you get to see it through Jack's eyes and how he experienced the NBR framework in motion.
SPEAKER_00:So that's a powerful concept. You kind of wet our appetites a little bit. Give our audience a little taste of Jack's journey. Where does it begin?
SPEAKER_01:All right. Well, you know, I used to be a mechanic, and and Dr. Dirst kind of went with the lead of the five gears of leadership. And the first gear is Jack is technically in charge of his emotions, but he feels disengaged. He avoids conflict. Um, he deflects blame. And he's he's basically in an avoidance mode, low morale, he's passive, um, compliance driven. But this is actually where you look at in his story, more like a 40-hour work week. And he was just coasting, he was just surviving. That was that was the essence of first gear. And then he shifts into second gear? Yeah. And he gets an opportunity, and it's a little bit more task-driven. And being from more of a mechanical end, yet Jack is a machinist, he's now obsessed with tasks and the matrix and control and doing things right. But it's also um an element of what he's seen when from previous supervisors, very controlled, micromanaged, uh, very directive and rigid. Sure, it's it's progress and it is getting the job done, but also leads to burnout pretty fast.
SPEAKER_00:So that's where leadership starts to feel real. Less about control, but a whole lot more about connection.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and that's actually where he starts to shift into our third gear, uh, being a rational leader. Jack begins to listen, he opens up, builds trust, and he sees his team as people, not just producers. The vulnerability starts to enter the room, and with it, the connection with his staff. There's an emphasis in terms of being open, and you know, the element of self-doubt starts to kick in, and now it's you know far more tangible. And he recognizes that it's a shared responsibility at that point. So leadership is less about control and more about cooperation.
SPEAKER_00:And that leads us to the fourth gear.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And really, a lot of people are at this level of an accountable leader. Um, Jack owns his impact and he leads by example. He aligns his values with the organization and with his actions. And he's holding himself and his staff accountable. That really becomes integrity, becomes his compass. And there's a clarity, and he's empowered in terms of a value-driven environment. And really that's the core of what MBR is about. But there's a fifth gear, and that's that's kind of the interesting element, but there's that leadership that's starting to actually happen at this level.
SPEAKER_00:And finally, fifth gear, transformational leadership.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And, you know, sometimes transformational leadership is uh described as a conductor. And Jack realizes that there's a mastery of this leadership concept in terms of how to inspire people, not through control, but through clarity, through trust, through conviction. And it really does start to develop something in terms of a legacy. And a lot of what you and I have done with our staff, so whenever we were working in the work environment, we were trying to help other people so that when we left, we were building that strength of the organization, that there were others that you have influenced, that you've helped it become more transform uh transformational. And really, that's that's the fifth gear. It's it's not just a shift, it's a breakthrough. You're it's an invitation to understand that you might have been stuck in terms of 40-hour work week and how this concept of the book is a roadmap. It's not perfection, it's all about the process. But every gear is really a choice. And the bottom line is you're trying to tell somebody to take the wheel.
SPEAKER_00:So, John, this has been great. I feel like I'm shifting gears in my seat. You know, that metaphor is so powerful. And it mirrors our podcast journey. From our first episode to now, we've shifted too toward deeper conversations, broader impact, and global reach. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And like Jack in our story, it's about leadership and the way of being, just learning that it's your framework and it's the things that you have done as your roadmap is going to help you in terms of how you go forward and how it's applied daily.
SPEAKER_00:So let's talk about how organizations can help their leaders actually shift those gears.
SPEAKER_01:Ah, yeah, the rubber meets the road again. It starts with experimental learning and real-world challenges and peer mentoring and reflection. Really, self-awareness is an important element of leadership, and you have to have that. But leaders also have to feel the friction of growth. And that's where transformation really starts to begin, because that friction is that element of really seeing change.
SPEAKER_00:And metrics matter. As we've said in the past, what gets measured gets done. So just like podcast analytics, leadership development needs both quantitative and qualitative feedback, which you know, to me, feedback is a gift.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And really, you talked a lot about the 360 approach in terms of getting feedback. And you saw the effect of that 360 approach really affects staff, but really change the way leadership conducted themselves.
SPEAKER_00:So we think about 360 feedback, it's a great tool, especially when you're working with your best and brightest. How can they get better? They're going to get really good quality feedback from not just their supervisor, not just their peers, not just their subordinates, but multiple facets of information to help them understand what they're doing well, what they can do better. And it really opens up uh their eyes to continuous improvement. And it's your definition of gold.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, that's exactly. And we measure team performance and stakeholders' impact and behavioral shifts. And it's all about tracking the journey. It's not just the destination.
SPEAKER_00:So that's a beautiful way to mark our 100th episode. Not just looking back, but looking forward as well.
SPEAKER_01:And that's the essence of leadership. Every milestone is just the beginning of the next chapter.
SPEAKER_00:So here's to Jack to the MBR framework, and to every listener ready to take the wheel.
SPEAKER_01:So let's shift into fifth gear together. Leadership development, like podcasting, is a journey of continuous improvement. The MBR framework provides a roadmap. And that's where the magic really happens. The daily application of these principles.
SPEAKER_00:That's beautifully put, John. Just as we've reached the milestone of 100 episodes, each leader's journey is marked by similar moments of achievement and reflection. You got any final words of wisdom for us?
SPEAKER_01:Remember, great leadership, like great content, is creating value for others. That's the true measurement of success.
SPEAKER_00:What a perfect way to mark this milestone. Thank you for joining John and I. And here's to the next 100 episodes of Leadership Insights. Thanks, man.
SPEAKER_01:It's been fun. I've written a book called Building Your Leadership Toolbox, and we talk about tools like this. And it's available on Amazon and Barnes Nouble and other sites. The podcast is what you've been listening to. Thank you so much. It's also available on Apple, Google, and Spotify. A lot of what we talk about is from Dr. Durst in his MBR program. If you'd like to know more about Dr. Durst, you can find out on SuccessGrowthAcademy.com. And if you'd like to contact us, please send me a line. That's Wando75 periodjw at gmail.com. And the music has been brought to you by my grandson. So we want to hear from you. Drop me a line. Tell me what's going on, what you like, and what you would like to hear about. It has always helped us to create content. Thanks, Greg. This was fun.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks, John. As always. Next time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.