To follow along with the visual models spoken about in this episode, watch the videos or download the visual model worksheets at chriskolenda.com/podcast.

In this special episode of the "The Leader's Edge," host Chris Kolenda sits down with Cassandra Bald—marketing strategist at the Lisa Larter Group and a past participant in the Leader's Edge Antietam-Gettysburg Offsite. Together, they reflect on the real-world impact of battlefield-based leadership development.

Cass shares how her team's experience in October 2023 transformed the way they communicate, lead, and perform. From defining new core values to improving team accountability and managing through disruption, she explains how the offsite's visual models and emotional storytelling helped embed lasting leadership habits across their organization.

Chris and Cass also explore key frameworks introduced during the offsite, including the Pressure Gauge, Comfort Zone vs. Chaos Zone, and ABCs of Buy-in, Accountability, and Clarity. Cass offers a firsthand perspective on how these tools—combined with standing on historic ground—provided her team with the mindset, language, and confidence to grow in the face of change.

This is a powerful, behind-the-scenes look at how immersive, story-driven learning fosters elite leadership and organizational resilience.

To follow along with the visual models spoken about in this episode, watch the videos or download the visual model worksheets at chriskolenda.com/podcast.

In this fourth episode of The Leader's Edge, Chris Kolenda tackles one of the most overlooked leadership pitfalls: unclear expectations.

Using vivid examples from Gettysburg and Antietam, Chris reveals how vague orders and poor communication caused missed opportunities and massive setbacks on the battlefield, just like they do in business today. He introduces the Four Ws Framework (Who, What, So That, By When) as a powerful tool for setting expectations that drive accountability and results.

Listeners will also learn a simple, repeatable process for "listening to understand" that ensures clarity and alignment, especially in high-stakes or fast-changing environments.

This episode equips leaders with battle-tested strategies to eliminate confusion, close the loop on communication, and inspire confident, decisive execution across their teams.

To follow along with the visual models spoken about in this episode, watch the videos or download the visual model worksheets at chriskolenda.com/podcast.

In this third episode of "The Leader's Edge," Chris Kolenda talks about accountability as a tool for shaping future performance rather than punishment.

In particular, he addresses how 80% of leaders struggle with accountability conversations, while the top 20% use supportive criticism and actionable appreciation to drive relentless improvement.

Chris also discusses how the Civil War's Iron Brigade serves as a powerful example of how proper accountability can build an unstoppable fighting force.

This episode emphasizes how to address subpar performance effectively and recognize desired behaviors to foster a culture of continuous growth and elite performance.