The Leaders Edge Hosted by Chris Kolenda

Chris Kolenda

The Leader’s Edge brings timeless leadership lessons to life through the lens of America’s most consequential Civil War battles. Hosted by retired Army colonel, combat leader, and leadership advisor Chris Kolenda, this series takes listeners on a powerful journey across the battlefields of Antietam and Gettysburg—transforming historical events into modern business insights. Each episode blends battlefield storytelling with practical leadership frameworks designed to help executives, entrepreneurs, and team leaders build unshakable organizations. From accountability and communication to strategic positioning, presence, and employee engagement, the podcast delivers actionable wisdom drawn from moments of crisis, courage, and command under fire. Whether you're leading a small team or a global enterprise, the Leader's Edge podcast equips you with the tools to lead with purpose, drive relentless improvement, and create an unstoppable workforce. read less

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Ep. 5 - From Offsite to Impact: A Client's Journey Through Battlefield Leadership

Ep. 5 - From Offsite to Impact: A Client's Journey Through Battlefield Leadership

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.

Episodios

Ep. 5 - From Offsite to Impact: A Client's Journey Through Battlefield Leadership

Ep. 5 - From Offsite to Impact: A Client's Journey Through Battlefield Leadership

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.

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

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.

Ep. 3 - Elite Accountability: Turning Feedback Into a Force Multiplier

Ep. 3 - Elite Accountability: Turning Feedback Into a Force Multiplier

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.

Ep. 2 - From Micromanaged to Mission-Driven: Building a Buy-In Culture

Ep. 2 - From Micromanaged to Mission-Driven: Building a Buy-In Culture

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 second episode of “The Leader's Edge,” Chris Kolenda examines how to transform unengaged employees into an enthusiastic, productive team through two key frameworks. The "gaining buy-in" framework requires compelling clarity about expectations using the "X so that Y" formula, appealing to enlightened self-interest and building complete confidence in the plan. The "igniting disciplined initiative" framework establishes clarity about the common good, provides backup support, and grants appropriate agency. Chris provides historical examples from Gettysburg that illustrate these principles: Colonel Joshua Chamberlain successfully engaged deserters who became crucial to Union victory, while Confederate cavalry commander Jeb Stuart's freelancing undermined his army's efforts. The episode highlights battlefield-tested strategies for moving from micromanagement to empowered teams, giving listeners practical tools to dramatically increase workforce engagement, productivity, and innovation while ensuring efforts remain aligned with organizational goals.

Ep. 1 - Unbeatable Positioning: How Great Leaders Think Upstream

Ep. 1 - Unbeatable Positioning: How Great Leaders Think Upstream

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 debut episode of “The Leader's Edge,” retired Army colonel Chris Kolenda explores how leaders can create unbeatable positioning for their organizations. Drawing from his experience leading 800 paratroopers in Afghanistan and lessons from the Civil War battlefields of Antietam and Gettysburg, Chris reveals how successful leaders think upstream instead of remaining in crisis management mode. He also examines Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation as a strategic game-changer that isolated the Confederacy, and highlights General John Buford's initiative at Gettysburg that secured the Union's unbeatable position. The episode illustrates how proactive, upstream thinking creates strategic advantages that make victory inevitable, equipping listeners with practical frameworks to position their organizations for success before challenges arise rather than constantly fighting fires.