Ep. 4 - Clarity in Command: The Cure for Confusion and Missed Goals

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.