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
Ready to Lead - OK - Prove it, Show me your resume! Part 1
Promotions rarely hinge on perfect reports—they hinge on proof that you grow people, steer outcomes, and communicate when it counts. John and greg open with a simple shift that changes everything: start with WIIFM—the listener’s “what’s in it for me”—and build leadership from the audience’s needs, not your talking points. From there, we map the real hiring filters (degrees, certifications, years of experience, capital projects, budget responsibility), how applicant tracking systems screen you in or out, and why “potential” without preparation keeps you parked.
We get practical about the next barrier: succession. If no one on your team can take your seat, your promotion odds drop. We talk through building bench strength with deliberate delegation, sponsoring certifications, and scheduling short 1:1s to learn each person’s goals—whether they want management or mastery. You’ll hear why honoring skilled tradespeople who choose craft over climbing is a leadership advantage, and how daily presence on the floor beats desk‑bound perfection every time.
Communication becomes the force multiplier. Instead of claiming you’re a “strong communicator,” we show how to prove it: present across departments, speak to executives and peers, and take on stretch topics with real risk attached. You’ll hear stories—from a supervisor who turned stage fear into system‑wide trust, to a lead electrician whose insight under pressure earned the room and elevated the whole department—that demonstrate how sharing the mic builds credibility in both directions. The through‑line is self‑ownership: you are responsible for your career, for closing your gaps, and for teaching your team how to close theirs. If you’re ready to shift from potential to preparation—and from solo performer to builder of builders—this one’s for you.
If the episode helped, follow the show, share it with a colleague who’s ready for the next step, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Then tell us: who are you developing this month?
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 the world of leadership and what you're trying to do to prepare yourself, but mostly what is it that your team is looking for in terms of leadership? What are what are the things that they as an audience want to hear? Say if you step back for a second and you want to try to talk to them as a team, a team meeting, and and the things that would be interesting to them. Well, Greg and I are going to dive into a conversation that I think I've I've had it in the book that I've written. But it really is the key. You have to be a good listener to be a good leader. And really you have to take up in the position of what's in it for me. So let me let me try to address that. You know, Greg, often presentations start with someone speaking eloquently about topics that the audience should know. But I want to talk about the flip side of that, the conversation that is designed for listening right now, for the pitch or the product or the claim or the revolutionary method that really means something when you look at it from the audience's point of view. And that really, I think, is important when you're talking about leadership in terms of personal and practical and relevant.
SPEAKER_00:You know, John, that's refreshing. So many leadership talks feel kind of disconnected, right? What made you want to take this approach?
SPEAKER_01:You know, I was challenged with the concept of pretend that you're in the seats and tell me what's in it for me. And I've heard all kinds of leadership theories, and honestly, I've thought, who really cares? That's why I wanted to talk about how a presentation should really come across to real people about real growth, about real advancement. One of the most important questions I ever asked my boss is what will it take for me to get promoted? Now, I'll admit, I didn't phrase it quite that well. It was a little rougher and I spent a lot of time, but at the end of the line, that that's what I was trying to ask the question of what's in it for me. I need more money to do this job. If if there's a promotional path, so be it. Let me let me know what it is. Looking back, it wasn't the wisest approach in terms of career growth. But I have to say, I know others who have done the same thing.
SPEAKER_00:No, John, I'm going to give you a lot of credit. That's a bold admission. You know, so what's the better question we should be asking?
SPEAKER_01:Well, instead of like asking for more money, uh you should be asking about how do I improve my career decisions? Uh executive management isn't really interested in vague ambition. What they want to see is readiness, initiative, results. That's the elements that they're looking for in terms of being promotable. Now, here's a question for everyone who's listening. Are you truly prepared for advancement? Or are you waiting for someone to hand it to you? I know what you're thinking. What does he mean by that?
SPEAKER_00:Well, let me break it down. So, John, let's say someone wants to move into a management role. What should they be expecting?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. That's what I was talking about. That that key to understand what goes into hiring. And without ever seeing the document for the organization, I know the majority of what you and I would see from an HR perspective. You're looking for a four-year degree. You're looking for at least four years of leadership experience. In the healthcare industry, you're looking for things like ASHI Certification for Healthcare or a CHFM, the ever-famous acronym city of what you have as activities within that organization or that field. You want a proven experience in terms of managing a capital project. You're looking for proficiency in Excel and Word and Word PowerPoint and all those kind of management software things that you would normally expect. And you also expect someone to have at least a million dollars worth of responsibility, whether that be capital planning or budget or sales, whatever they're looking for, they're looking for a certain set of volume in order to show that you have the capacity of doing the work. Greg, does this ring true? Have you seen those basics almost with every job?
SPEAKER_00:It's a standard, John. It's it's just a way to try to hone in on folks that might be remotely qualified before the interview process. So these are minimum requirements.
SPEAKER_01:And I think there's software now, you know, they call them watchdogs, that if you don't have those basic six elements of somehow proving that you're a real candidate, it's going to flush you before you even see a human.
SPEAKER_00:You'll be screened out, yes.
SPEAKER_01:So unless you meet those criteria, you're probably never going to be ready for advancement. Now, there are there are exceptions, sure, but here's the catch. A candidate is expected to meet those missing requirements within two years of employment. That's almost like a standard line of anybody that's missing these elements. Okay, we'll probably stretch a little bit, but you got to pony up and get that work done within a period of time. Some organizations are more flexible than others, and you can have five or six of the basics in order to have a chance for advancement, but being hired by someone outside of your organization are slim if you don't have those basic keys.
SPEAKER_00:So, John, I think what you're saying is really important that it's not just about potential, it's also about preparation.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. And let me be clear I'm not asking anyone to raise their hand or confess that they have a lack of these skill sets, but it really is talking about whether you expect advancement if you don't have those elements ready to go. Everyone has those skills at some level, but you have to have the documentation. And some organizations, you've gained that because of your experience, but it doesn't translate to even executive leadership. Your boss might think that you have the skills, but they have to actually twist arms to go past those requirements. So if we don't have those skills, what should you do? What what are your real opportunities at this point? So let me be clear. Anyone who doesn't have those skills, I don't I don't need to talk about whether you know you need to have those things to be advanced, but you might be able to do that on site and they'll they'll do something for your organization and accommodate you. But if you don't have those skills, you're not gonna be able to go to another organization. And that's just being prepared. That's the essence of it. But let's say that you meet all the requirements. So what's the next challenge? How many people in your team right now can take your place? Yeah. If you think you're gonna get promoted, and anyone that's on in the organization hasn't the skill set or the experience to be able to take your place, odds are they're gonna look past you. That's just the reality of it. What have you done to try to delegate projects to your team, to help them to get certifications that they need, possibly help them to go back to school if they have the interest in being a leader?
SPEAKER_00:That really is how you build a resume. No, John, that's a tough one. Folks get so caught up in their day-to-day jobs, and the last thing they think about is succession. In fact, sometimes they don't think about it until it's too late. They got a job opportunity, but there's no one that's ready to take their place.
SPEAKER_01:Exactly. And leadership means leading others. It's not just representing your company's priorities and possibly staff questions or challenges that you have in the business environment. What you need to do is find out what your team's aspirations are, what are their priorities. I'd like to challenge you within the next 30 days, sit down with each member of your team. Yeah. And ask them what are their dreams? What is their next steps? How can I help you get there? The whole thing about being a leader is being able to know what it is that motivates them. Not just you motivating them to do the work environment, what motivates them. Now, I get it. Not everyone wants to be promoted that you're going to be talking to. And not everyone has aspirations to take your job and be a leader. And that's okay. But you need to know that there are people who love the work for what it is. My father was a tradesman and he took pride in his craft. And there's nothing wrong for those choosing to stay in the trade and stay in the trade level. But you, as a leader, have a responsibility to support those individuals just as much as you see someone that's capable of leadership. You have to develop them to be the best trade persons that they can be. What you're really missing is finding that key leadership principle of interest in being a leader.
SPEAKER_00:So, how do leaders support those who aren't interested in seeking advancement?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, okay. Probably the most important point is create a positive environment, regardless of their career goals. Think of the men and women in your department, how they take true pride in the things that they have done, how they've helped the organization, and how they're considered highly qualified in their technical trade. It's noble work. Ask yourself, have I done everything I can to make their jobs better? Not just challenging them in terms of leadership, it's helping them to be the best tradesperson to find a salary to support their families. Ask any tradesperson, do you have the training, the tools, the supplies to do a good job? The easiest way to understand this is to walk the department daily. You cannot lead from your desk. Yes, I know paperwork is overwhelming and it's a constant drag on what it is that's happening in your life, but you're leading people now. And walking the department is one of those keys in order to try to connect. But no one gets promoted for a perfect payroll efficiency or paperwork that is so well written that others are going to be talking about it on end about how the budget was correctly identified. It just doesn't happen. So let me give you a hint that no one is going to be promoted that does a perfect payroll efficiency report. No one really cares about your monthly report in terms of being the most outstanding document ever written by someone in your position. What's the most important element is how you actually lead your team and how that organization works as a collective unit.
SPEAKER_00:That's a powerful reminder, John. Leadership is about being visible and engaged, not one or the other.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. And budgeting and planning, things like construction experience, technical experience, they all are part of the hiring process. But they are just elements of the hiring process, not indicators of leadership. Now there's disqualifiers, and sure, that's that's part of what you need to talk about, but no one wants to teach accounting to someone who already knows it. And if you have never led or had worked interactively with a construction project or with other leaders, it's going to show in terms of your results. You have to be in the place where projects can be demonstrated.
SPEAKER_00:And you can show that in terms of how you have done something in your resume that has actually shown that you have worked on projects. So, John, what I hear you saying is leadership is about involvement, not proximity.
SPEAKER_01:Really, a lot of people, when they say that they have experience in projects, is because they were in the same room while they had a meeting about it. It's not leading the team, it's being part of the team. Well, you have to find a way to try to describe that in a resume so that you get credit for actually leading that concept or you altered the concept that was going in the wrong direction, something other than saying that you were a participant. So, Greg, do you know what the secret is of getting someone's attention during the interviewing process? No, John, what is that secret? Tell the hiring managers that you have improved communication between your staff, across departments, or with leadership. It's not just saying that you're a good communicator, it's showing it. I've been speaking for like 15, 20 minutes now. Are you still with me? Have you been listening to the inflection of my voice, to this to the concepts that we've been exchanging between the two of us?
SPEAKER_00:That's the element of being self-aware. So, John, there's kind of three things going on here. It's not just what you say, it's not just how you say it, but it's also how it's being received. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:If you claim to be a strong communicator, prove it. Give a presentation, join organizations that give presentations, share your insights, put something on your resume that shows that you have communicated with purpose and impact. So let me give you a real example. I asked a supervisor to take on a subject called water management responsibilities for a hospital system. He was tasked with collecting the data, improving overall safety, and presenting his findings to hospital leadership. Eventually, he gave that same presentation to an engineering group that I belonged to called Hesney. And he was able to give that presentation to his peers. When I first gave him the assignment, he didn't hide his discomfort. He said, I'm not comfortable in talking to people in public. And he worried about the legal implications of water safety and what that meant if he stood up and took responsibility. That's when I gave him a challenge. If you want my job, as you have told me in past career reviews, then prove it. Take the responsibility and show your peers that you understand this subject better than most. John, that's a very powerful moment. How did he respond? He stepped up, yeah. And he delivered an outstanding presentation to the executive team. He did an outstanding presentation to the peers. He showed progress in terms of that the team's project of water safety. He really did improve the safety of water, but mostly he gave leadership the impression that he understood the subject well. I ask, have you ever been in a position where you could give an assignment of your team that you would normally do for them to experience that same feeling, that same risk, that same reward? As a leader, you probably know how to communicate, but you have to teach that skill at the same time. So I'll be honest, my first executive presentation was a disaster. And I asked a respected peer if I needed public speaking classes. I was in my early 30s, I had a bachelor's degree in science, and I never gave a meaningful presentation before then.
SPEAKER_00:So, John, it's a very humbling story. What did you learn from that experience?
SPEAKER_01:That leadership requires preparation. And you have to be prepared for advancement, and so does your staff. But here's the bottom line. As a leader, I'm not responsible for your career. You are responsible for your career. Your boss is not going to do it for you. It's rare, it sometimes happens, but you have to own it. That's the key. So if you want to know who's going to help you with your career, the wonderful line I was given is look in the mirror, because that's the only person who's looking back at you that's interested in your career at the end of the day. And the only one that can really do an effective change. Okay, let's shift gears for a second. Communication isn't just about public speaking and team meetings. As a leader, you have to influence that goes beyond your department into the chain of command. So can you give us an example of that, John? Yeah. Again, from my hospital experience, they have this thing called incident command. And it's situational analysis where you're always working on what to do in case there's an emergency. And when you actually have an event, you have to be able to think out of the box and be smart about your communications. So I had a Lee Foreman who was really good at his field and very knowledgeable and almost like a secret in the organization. And I asked him during a major event that we had to shut down the Transformer and shut down the hospital for a period of time. Now, normally I would give the update to the incident command team, but I wanted to change this process to invite the lead electrician to speak because he discovered it before it actually failed and saved the hospital hours of potential problems. It was his insight, it was his professionalism that found the issue before it happened. He developed an action plan and had a timeline ready to go. Now, I could have taken that same kind of pitch and impressed the people in the room, but my job was to try to create a team and really show the strength of that organization that I had. He was very professional. He didn't want to be a supervisor, but he gained such support as being a tradesperson that I was given praise about how they never knew that he was there. And here in this high-pressure environment, he excelled and he did a fantastic job.
SPEAKER_00:But he was a good communicator that didn't know it. So, John, that must have been a very proud moment for him, for the department, and for you. It was.
SPEAKER_01:It was. And those opportunities happen all the time. But all too often the directors or the senior management becomes the spokesperson for the department and they hide the really talented people that are behind the scenes. And that's a waste. It hinders careers and it stifles growth. So where is all of this going? It's about self-awareness. If you can't develop someone on your staff, odds are you're not promotable. Period. That's the essence of leadership. It isn't about your performance, it's about your ability to develop and grow others.
SPEAKER_00:John, that's a very sobering and very tough truth. But it's necessary. It is.
SPEAKER_01:And and really at this point, I think for the sake of clarity, that kind of wraps up our first discussion about leadership advancement series. We have another episode. So stay tuned. I think you'll enjoy the second half. And we get into a little bit more of the detail of how to actually take that leadership advancement to the next step. So if you like what you've heard, 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 and Nouvel 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. It'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. Thanks, John.
SPEAKER_00:As always. Next time.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.