Leading without the BS: Unfiltered. Unapologetic. Unstoppable Performance.
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.
Episodes
20 episodes
Rockstar Leadership: Ryan Haas on Blending Music, Hospitality & High Performance
Discover how Ryan Haas, President of Scalzo Hospitality and frontman of The UnderGroove, applies rockstar stage presence to lead high-performing hospitality teams. In this Wingspan Performance episode, Ryan shares powerful lessons on creativity...
Behavioral Performance Secrets with Bruce Stankavage
Discover how former business owner and counseling psychology expert Bruce Stankavage joined Wingspan Performance as a Leadership Performance Advisor. In this candid conversation with Cathy Maday, Wingspan Performance Founder + CEO, shares...
Leading with Passion & Personality: Taylor Stewart on High-Stakes Leadership at Sandia National Labs
Discover powerful leadership lessons from today's episode with Wingspan Performance Advisor, Mike Johnson, and Taylor Stewart of Sandia National Labs. In this conversation, Taylor shares how she brings calm under pressure, humor, curiosity, and...
Mediocre Sucks: Chris Lock on Ownership, CrossFit, and Leading Without the BS
On this episode Cathy Maday, Founder of Wingspan Performance, talks with Chris Lock, Siemens Smart Infrastructure leader. Chris shares raw lessons on entrepreneurial grit, risk-taking, and people-first leadership inside a global titan. From bre...
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 leader...
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 tea...
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 ex...
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 Pe...
Leading Without the BS: 7 Patterns That Make Year-End Reviews Brutal (and How to Fix Them)
Hosts: Ivan Konermann & Heather HopkinsBig 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...
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 se...
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 ...
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 ...
How Great Leaders Drive Results
When performance slips, most leaders double down on effort — not behavior.In this conversation, Wingspan Advisor Mike Johnson and VP + Advisor, Ivan Konermann, reveal how great leaders drive results through Behavioral Performanc...
Progress, Not Perfection: How Real Leaders Practice Accountability Every Day
In this episode of Leading Without the BS, Ivan Konermann and Wingspan’s newest Advisor, Mike Johnson, go head-to-head in what we’re calling “Bald vs. Balder.” With a combined 40+ years of leadership experience (and zero hair be...
Stop Helping by Doing: How Leaders Become Multipliers
High-Performance Leaders often jump in to “help” by doing the work themselves. Sounds noble, right? Except it hijacks your team, erodes trust, and turns you into the bottleneck. In this episode, Cathy and Ivan unpack the autopilot habit of “hel...
How to Lead When Everything’s Constantly Changing: High-Performance Leadership Tools
Change is constant—and as a leader, you either navigate it or get buried by it. In Episode 5, Cathy and Ivan cut through the noise and show you exactly how to lead when everything around you is shifting.This isn’t about fak...
High-Performer Sh$t's Holding You Back: How to Stop Your Habits in Their Tracks
High-Performer habits will sneak up on leaders like you. What once got you promoted or helped you hit targets is now keeping you stuck. In this episode, Cathy and Ivan cut the B.S. and show you how to identify the behaviors...
Accountability Ain't for Amateurs: How to Lead with Results
Avoiding conflict and accountability? You’re holding your team back. In Episode 3, Cathy and Ivan delve into why accountability is non-negotiable for effective leadership performance among entrepreneurs and business leaders who ac...
Cut the Confusion: Build Confidence in business by leading with Clarity
Entrepreneurs and business leaders—if you're tired of confusion holding your team back, Episode 2 is for you. In this episode, Cathy and Ivan break down clarity as the foundation of leadership confidence. This...
How to Approach Hard Conversations in Leadership
In this episode of Leading Without the B.S., Cathy Maday(CEO) and Ivan Konermann(VP of Ops) dive into how to approach hard conversations with clarity, confidence, and intention. From avoiding tough talks to not speaking the f$c...
