Own The Outcome, Leadership Overview Part 2

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Results don’t care about your intention—and that’s exactly why they’re the most honest measure of leadership. We take you from a formative Management By Responsibility moment—shifting from truck mechanic to frontline supervisor—through a practical breakdown of what makes leaders promotable: owning outcomes, communicating so clearly that action becomes inevitable, and developing people who can replace you without missing a beat.

We unpack the U.S. Army’s leadership competencies and translate them into everyday business moves: lead others by turning strategy into steps, extend influence beyond the org chart with diplomacy and coalition-building, and lead by example so your standards show up in your team’s habits. Communication sits at the core—less slideware, more translation power—and culture isn’t perk-driven; it’s the daily environment where feedback is normal and progress is visible. If you’ve ever wondered why “I’ll try” stalls careers, we explain how to replace intent with artifacts: plans, decision logs, shipped work, and postmortems that make your contribution legible.

You’ll also hear a simple but powerful reframing: replace “performance review” with “career review.” The topics stay the same, but the mindset shifts to goals, stretch assignments, and promotion signals. Whether you’re aiming for your first leadership role or leveling from manager to director, the throughline is clear: leaders get results ethically, repeatedly, and in ways that lift others. Ready to build a results portfolio you’re proud to share with your mentor, your team, and your future self? Follow the show, leave a review to tell us your biggest takeaway, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to own their next step.

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Presented by John Wandolowski and Greg Powell

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_01 (00:13):
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 thispodcast, we wanted to put out a
helping hand and help that nextgeneration and help answer the

(00:35):
question of what does it mean tobe a leader?
Today we want to talk about asubject that I think supports
that concept.
Well, welcome back to part twoof our Leadership Advancement
podcast.
And in our first podcast, wewere talking about the

(00:57):
leadership preparation andcommunication and personal
ownership.
I want to start off this podcastwith something that is near and
dear to my heart.
It's the essence of why I reallystarted, I wrote a book and we
started the podcast.
And it was from the experienceof going through management by
responsibility.

(01:20):
Back when I was in my early 30s,I went from being a truck
mechanic to being a supervisorat Johnson ⁇ Johnson and the
Gausmill.
And they sent me to the classwhen I first began my job as a
supervisor to take this coursewith uh Dr.
Durce.
And it was a two-day seminar.
And it definitely changed myperspective of leadership.

(01:43):
Back then, it was basically theleaders that I had in trucking,
and trust me, they weren'treally good leaders.
Good people, but not really goodleaders.
I learned a lot about trainingand the things to be a good
supervisor.
I later wrote a book about thisexperience, and you know,

(02:04):
building your leadership toolboxis what I called it.
But it kind of pales incomparison to the actual class
that I took.
So, John, what was the coremessage?
Yeah.
Dr.
Durst, the person who developedthe program, had it in a very
succinct sentence.
We are responsible foreverything in our experience,

(02:26):
whether we like it or not.
That means that the results inyour life are your
responsibility, not theenvironment, not your parents,
not your spouse.
It's all you.
That's that's the bottom line.
Now, Greg, you've heard thisspeech before.
When I tell you NBR, what do youthink of?

SPEAKER_00 (02:44):
I think of looking in the mirror and saying that's
the person that's going to makethings happen.
That's a person that's going totake responsibility if things
don't happen.

SPEAKER_01 (02:52):
Yeah, that's the essence of it.
I mean, I one of the mostimportant things that I think
Dr.
Durst talked about is he couldhe could put all the buck 50
cent kind of words intodiscussion, but in order to get
the idea across, it had to bedirect.
And that's exactly it.
Own it.

(03:14):
So to that end, talking aboutsome of the most basic concepts,
it kind of boils down to one ofthe simplest elements, results.
You can talk about vision andinfluence and strategy all day,
but if you're not delivering,you're not leading.

(03:35):
There are plenty of people inorganizations that are holding
positions, and all they are areplay setters.
They're waiting to retire, orthey're waiting to get fired, or
they're waiting to move onmystically that's going to
happen.
They stay invisible in theorganization and do just enough
to avoid attention.

SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
You know, John, that's a very tough truth.
But what separates real leadersfrom those placeholder folks?

SPEAKER_01 (04:02):
Yeah.
Leaders who get results are theones who develop deferred
maintenance plans or buildmaster plans or lead projects
that shape the organization.
They're involved in constructionefforts or refining scopes of
business or making an impact inthe organization.

(04:24):
And here's the kicker.
No one wants to hear from aleader saying, I'm going to do
my best.
It's that whole thing betweentry and I'll deliver.
I'm going to do my best is apolite version of the word no.
I'd rather someone just say no,I'm not going to do that,

(04:46):
instead of offering vaguepromises.
Getting results isn't aboutintent, it's about execution.
Positive, measurable, impressiveoutcomes that are key for
advancement.
Placeholders will always say,I'll try.
Leaders say, here's what I'vedone.

SPEAKER_00 (05:09):
So, John, results are not optional.
That's how you keep score.
You're the currency ofleadership.

SPEAKER_01 (05:16):
Exactly.
Exactly.
So let's let's go back to themessage from our first episode.
Every organization is lookingfor people who deliver results.
Whether you're interviewing fora new role or speaking to
executives in the current jobyou have, results are what
matters.

(05:37):
If you want to advance in yourcareer, be specific.
What have you done to makeyourself proud?
What have you done and actuallythat you would call an
accomplishment?
Would you share that with yourpeers, with your family, with
your mentor?
And if that list is short, well,start building it today.

(06:01):
It takes a moment of commitment,of taking that bull by the horn,
if you wish, and improving yourresults to in your current role.
Leadership starts now.
Leadership starts with impact.
Now, I think whenever I'm tryingto communicate what this really

(06:25):
means, I find myself going backto a reference that I got back
again from Johnson Johnson.
And my boss sat me down and hewanted me to understand the
requirements of doing the job.
So he came up with this list.
And let me share with you thatthe list is the core description

(06:48):
of leadership that comes fromthe Army Cadet Leadership
Guidelines.
And the author, I think, is kindof funny.
It's the U.S.
Army.
So if you look it up on Amazon,it's the Army that put it
together.
But what he was trying to do ishe wanted to make it simple.
And he's communicating it at thesame time.
He didn't dream this up.

(07:09):
And it was his experience asbeing in a leadership position
at Great Lakes Naval Base thathe wanted to make sure I
understood because it's whatthey told him he needed to
understand.
So it starts off with corecompetencies.
And I'm going to give you theshort version to influence
people to provide purpose,motivation, and direction while

(07:30):
operating their accomplishmentsof mission to improve the
organization.
Now that's their definition ofcompetencies, and they break it
down, and I'm going to give youthe short version of it.
Leads others, thereforemotivates and inspires teams to
work towards a common goal.

(07:51):
Extends influence beyond thechain of command.
Uses diplomacy, negotiations,cooperation, all those elements
in order to shape outcomes.
Leads by example, models thestandards and behaviors expected

(08:12):
of others, communicates,expresses clearly, listens
actively, creates a positiveenvironment, builds a culture of
respect, purpose, andproductivity, prepares self,
pursues lifelong learning andself-awareness.

(08:34):
This is the army describing it.
And that's the part that I wantto step back and say how much of
this have you heard without theword army involved in it is
really the key.
Develops others, coaches andmentors, teams for growth, and
gets results, deliversconsistent, ethical, and
impactful outcomes.

(08:57):
Now, when I go through thatlist, the part that I think is
important is that's the briefdescription.
And quite often people don'tlisten to the details that are
associated with it.
I think it's worthwhile just togo into the the longer version
of it.
So if if you just stay with me,hopefully the payoff is worth

(09:20):
the investment of your time.
When they mean leads, it'sleading is all about influencing
others.
Leaders or commanders set goalsand establish a vision that they
must motivate and influenceothers to pursue those goals.
Leaders influence others in oneof two ways.

(09:44):
Either lead or the followerscommunicate directly, or the
leader provides an examplethroughout their everyday
actions.
Now that's that's more than justleads.
And the next point I think isconfusing, and I'll explain
later why.

(10:05):
But leads others.
Leaders motivate, inspire, andinfluence others to take
initiatives, to work towards acommon purpose, accomplishing
critical tasks and to achieveorganizational objectives.

(10:29):
Can they answer this particularcategory?
Extends influence beyond thechain of command.
Leaders need to influence beyondtheir direct lines of authority
and beyond the chain of command.
In these situations, and here'sthe important part, leaders use
indirect means of influence, ofdiplomacy, negotiations,

(10:52):
mediation, arbitration,partnering, conflict resolution,
consensus building,coordination, and influencing
the posture and desire ofoutcomes.
If you can get somebody thatdoes that, that can demonstrate
it on paper, hire them asquickly as you can.

(11:16):
The other part, again, leads byexample should be obvious.
Their description takes it onestep further.
Leaders consistently serve asrole models for others.
Leaders will always be viewed asan example.
So they must maintain standards,provide examples of efficiencies
through their actions.

(11:37):
Proper role modeling providestangible evidence of desired
behaviors and reinforces verbalguidance through the
demonstration of commitment inaction.
They're trying to be as obviousas they can saying you have to
lead from the front.
And here's the part that theymake a point that is in every
one of their discussions that isthe most important element.

(12:00):
So mine is influencing othersbeyond a chain of command.
The military considers this onethe most important:
communicates.
Leaders communicate effectivelyby clearly expressing ideas and
actively listening to others.
By understanding the nature andthe importance of communication
and practice of effectivecommunication techniques,

(12:23):
leaders will relate better toothers and be able to translate
goals into action.
Communication is essence to allof leadership competencies.

(12:49):
I love this description becauseit's dead on to what the
expectations are in business.
If you can't do this, there'sreally a question of whether you
should be in a leadership role.
Communication is the essence ofleadership.
I think the next points are moreor less supporting what we've
just already discussed.
Developing and creates apositive environment.

(13:11):
Leaders have the responsibilityto establish and maintain a
positive expectations andattitudes that produce a setting
for healthy relationships andeffective work behaviors.
I love this.
This is military discussions ofcreating a positive environment.
Leaders are charged withimproving the organization while

(13:32):
accomplishing the mission.
They should leave theorganization better than when
they had arrived.
Now, I talked about the veryfirst category of leads.
Really, it's combined with thisnext concept: prepare self.
Leaders ensure that they areprepared to execute their
leadership responsibilitiesfully, that they are aware of

(13:55):
the limitations and thestrengths, and seek to develop
themselves only throughcontinuous preparation and
practicing lifelong learning.
I love that part, and developingthe individual themselves
fulfilled the responsibilitiesof leadership.
They backed it up right behindit with okay, there's the point

(14:19):
of self, and then there's reallythe point of leadership, which
is developing others.
And when you talk to somebodywho's in the military, this is
the category of how theyactually get advancement.
Leaders encourage and supportothers to grow as individuals
and teams.
They facilitate the achievementof the organizational goals

(14:40):
through assisting others todevelop.
They prepare others to assumenew positions elsewhere in the
organization, making theorganization more vital and
productive.
This is the essence ofleadership.
If you're developing your staffand you're developing somebody

(15:02):
to take your place, hello,that's what you're supposed to
do.
They ended with the probably themost obvious get results.
Getting results andaccomplishing the mission,
fulfilling the goals is theobjectives of what all
leadership really exist and atthe discretion of the

(15:23):
organization to achieve what isof value.
I'm not going to read the rest.
The essence of it is gettingresults is really the key.
And they're not interested inhearing how they can or can't
get the mission done.
Really, organizations don't needpeople giving them answers on
how they can't get it done.
They have scores of those folks.

(15:45):
The ones that they really wantto see promoted are the ones
that can get the job done.
That's results.
That's what drives the executiveteam.

SPEAKER_00 (15:54):
So, John, that's a very comprehensive framework.
Which one do you think leadersstruggle with the most?

SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
For me, I I think getting results is probably the
hardest one.
It's easy to talk aboutleadership, but you know, prove
it.
Show me the outcome.
Show me, show me the results.
Um, I've seen results that arelet's see, the best term I can

(16:25):
use fictional.
And I've seen results of hardwork and ingenuity that stand on
their own.
So everything that I've sharedcomes from lived experiences, my
experience.
And these are the skill setsthat I use to move up from a

(16:48):
foreman to a supervisor to amanager to a director to a
regional director beforestepping aside and really
dedicating myself to try to helpleadership training.

SPEAKER_00 (16:59):
You know, John, that's quite a journey.
But if you had to go back andask one question uh to for of
yourself for listeners toreflect on, what would that
question be?

SPEAKER_01 (17:10):
Yeah.
Are you prepared for the for thenext stage of your career?
You know, saying that you'reprepared means that there's so
many other steps.
Is your staff prepared?
Are you prepared?
And have you put in the work?
Have you done the basics?
Let me propose a simple shift.
Eliminate something that reallybothers me whenever people are

(17:34):
talking about whether they'reprepared for their next step in
terms of their career.
A lot of us use the wordperformance review.
And that's that's whereorganizations really talk about
whether you're prepared.
And I hate the word performancereview.
I'd like to say that from nowon, we just call it career
review.

(17:54):
And the topics are the same, butthere really needs to be a
different mindset.
You really need to show thatnext step of trying to help that
person in the field, whetherit's a trade position, a
leadership position, whetherthey want to move to another
company, whether they want totake your job, whatever those
things are that are important tothem, it is their time to talk

(18:18):
about their goals, theiraspirations.
I have found so much in terms ofdoing a career review that it
was more than an evaluation.
It was really an eye-openingexperience of knowing what that
individual really wants in termsof their career.

SPEAKER_00 (18:40):
So, John, that's a very powerful reframing of the
topic.
It actually turns a routinemeeting into a very meaningful
discussion.

SPEAKER_01 (18:49):
Exactly.
And that kind of wraps up theidea of how I perceive
leadership.
And it's mostly talking aboutthe journey that I really have
had fun with and sharing withthe audience and sharing with
you, Greg.
It's it's been a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_00 (19:09):
John, it's been an honor.
And these conversations aredefinitely going to help a whole
lot of people.

SPEAKER_01 (19:16):
Oh, well, to our listeners, remember leadership
isn't a title, it's aresponsibility.
Lead with purpose, communicatewith clarity, deliver with
integrity, and above all, helpothers rise.
So if you like what you'veheard, I've written a book
called Building Your LeadershipToolbox, and we talk about tools

(19:39):
like this, and it's available onAmazon and Barnes Noble and
other sites.
The podcast is what you've beenlistening to.
Thank you so much.
It's also available on Apple,Google, and Spotify.
A lot of what we talk about iswith Dr.
Durst in his MBR program.
If you'd like to know more aboutDr.
Durst, you can find out onSuccessGrowthAcademy.com.

(20:01):
And if you'd like to contact us,please send me a line.
That's wondo75 periodjw atgmail.com.
And the music has been broughtto you by my grandson.
So we want to hear from you.
Drop me a line.
Tell me what's going on, whatyou like, and what you would
like to hear about.

(20:21):
It has always helped us tocreate content.
Thanks, Greg.
This was fun.

SPEAKER_00 (20:27):
Thanks, John.
As always.
Next time.
Yeah.