Leadership Blueprints

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Most leaders shut down ideas without realizing it. A "yeah but" in a meeting. A quick correction before someone finishes. The team quietly learns to stop bringing anything new. Will Dennis runs Unscripted Productions, an applied improv studio that trains Fortune 500s, hospitals, and schools on the fix. It comes back to two words. Yes, and.

In this episode, Will and BJ unpack why "yes, and" is the most underrated leadership tool out there. What Nick Sirianni was secretly doing all Super Bowl run. Why one company tests emerging leaders on whether they hold the spotlight or stand in it. And the hardest line to sit with: a leader's real job is to work themselves out of one.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Why we're talking about improv, not AI

02:00 - Improv as the safest place to fail

05:00 - How "yes, and" turns down the heat in any room

14:18 - What Nick Sirianni was secretly doing all season

19:03 - The hidden test for who actually gets into the leadership program

24:23 - The most powerful sentence you can hear in a locker room

24:47 - A leader's real job is to work themselves out of one

29:24 - A boardroom hack any leader can steal tomorrow

34:27 - Rapid fire: books, the word sonder, and dinner with Adam Grant

38:55 - Why improv is not the thing you think it is

Connect with Will Dennis:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamjdennis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unscriptedproductions
Website: https://www.unscriptedproductions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unscriptedprod

Connect with BJ Kraemer:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj-kraemer-9a0855b/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bj_kraemer/
Website: https://mcfaglobal.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4bcvcAw0rigwymZCwZgfgN?si=45fc1e07c82742ee
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leadership-blueprints/id1561090224

This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique: https://www.podcastboutique.com

Get Weekly Leadership Blueprints in your inbox: https://mailchi.mp/mcfaglobal/leadership-blueprints-newsletter 

Every leader has that one person on the team. The one showing up halfway. The one quietly setting the ceiling for everyone else. And most leaders tolerate it longer than they should.

Matt Crispino refused to. After taking over the Princeton men's swim team, he inherited what his assistant called an opt-in culture, where the committed thrived and the disengaged got to coast. Matt blew it up. He made the team write their own core values, told the roster it was all in or out, and just won his second straight Ivy League championship doing it.

In this conversation, Matt and BJ get into what it actually takes to raise the standard without losing your people. Why he had to coach against his own instincts to let the team have fun. How relationship building, not X's and O's, is the real work. And why the best coaches are the last line of defense for what sports are supposed to teach. If you lead anything, a team, a company, a family, this one is going to hit.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Why your least committed person sets the ceiling

01:00 - Launching the Friendly Strife Foundation segment

07:00 - Coaching at West Point in the shadow of war

10:00 - Realizing the job is bigger than coaching swimming

13:00 - Why sports is the most powerful leadership classroom

17:00 - Recruiting for culture not just talent

18:00 - Shifting Princeton from opt-in to all-in

20:00 - The five core values the team built together

24:00 - Why fun became their unlock for winning

26:00 - Coaching against your own instincts

27:00 - Trust and inspire over command and control

30:00 - How NIL and the transfer portal are reshaping coaching

32:00 - Why failure has to be a safe place to land

37:00 - Why they will not come to you if you have not built the relationship

43:00 - The legacy of a coach who cared

Connect with Matt Crispino:

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mattcrispino/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-crispino-a26b5239/

Get Weekly Leadership Blueprints in your inbox: https://mailchi.mp/mcfaglobal/leadership-blueprints-newsletter 

Every Memorial Day, BJ replays this episode to reset how he thinks about what it means to lead. Dennis Zilinski was his West Point classmate, swim teammate, and one of his best friends. Dennis was killed in action on November 19, 2005, at 23 years old.

In this conversation, BJ sits down with Dennis's mother, Marion Zilinski (Mama Z), to talk about who Dennis was, how he led, and how his leadership continues to make an impact 20 years after his death. From his early instinct to serve and protect, to his decision to stay at West Point after 9/11, to the legacy his family built in his name, this episode is a reminder that real leadership shows up long before the title does. And its impact outlives the leader.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - What leadership costs when stakes are life and death

01:00 - Reading the foreword from The Strong Gray Line

03:00 - Why this conversation matters for Memorial Day

07:00 - Dennis the protector and the young volunteer

09:00 - Handling failure with maturity beyond his years

12:00 - The decision to go to West Point

14:00 - Why Dennis refused to leave after 9/11

17:00 - Leading among 4,000 future leaders at West Point

20:00 - Choosing church over the party on post night

23:00 - The generosity Dennis built into his will

28:00 - The night of the knock at the door

39:00 - Building the Dennis Zilinski Fun

40:00 - Dennis's promise to go meet the parents

48:00 - How service dogs are saving veteran lives

 55:00 - What Memorial Day is really about

Connect with Marion Zilinski:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-zilinski

Get Weekly Leadership Blueprints in your inbox: https://mailchi.mp/mcfaglobal/leadership-blueprints-newsletter 

95% of women executives and 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs were athletes. Yet, most kids leave sports before they even get to high school.

This episode breaks down why more kids are walking away and how parents and coaches can work together to change it.

Katie Lee, founder of All American AIM, has placed girls at college programs including West Point by coaching the whole kid, not just the athlete. She shares what good coaching actually looks like, why she's concerned about where youth sports is headed, and her advice for parents and coaches navigating it.

Topics discussed:

00:00 - Introduction
03:34 - What coaches look for in tryouts
05:51 - Communicating with families
08:53 - Recruiting coaches that care
12:48 - The fine line between pushing hard and burnout
16:50 - Why athletes should play other sports
22:40 - Mental health on and off the field
25:09 - Youth sports infiltrated by big business
27:13 - The weight of being a coach
30:09 - All American Aim’s origin story
33:57 - The moments that make it all worth it
37:44 - Advice for new or aspiring coaches
40:56 - Mind Gym and mental skills training
44:29 - Katie’s mantra

Connect with Katie Lee:
https://allamericanaim.com/

During this episode, we are digging into the leadership challenges of transitioning from the military into the private sector and the lessons that had to be learned along the way. 

Chris Banks is a 20-year Navy veteran and the President of Banks Industrial Group, a company providing maintenance services in the industrial space. He joins us to share more about his search for impact after working in a process-driven environment, lessons he learned from good and bad leaders in the sector, and how his experiences have shaped the true mission and values of Banks Industrial Group. 

Tune in as we unpack the difference between leadership across sectors and how military retirees can be America’s secret weapon in business and entrepreneurship. Thanks for tuning in! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Transitioning out of active duty to join the private sector.
• How addressing risk in the Navy translates to leadership outside of it. 
• Balancing leadership of project, teams, and people with a healthy, profitable business.
• The one thing that differentiates business leadership from military leadership.
• Finding a way to make an impact strategically after exiting the Navy. 

Quotes:

“In business, the challenge is you want to pound as much risk out of it as you can, but if you spend all your time trying to get to zero risk, you’ll never make any money.” — Chris Banks [0:09:25]

“What I really wanted was impact. I felt like I’d come from an organization where there was a process for everything, but you could make an impact on nothing.” — Chris Banks [0:20:02]

“You should spend some time thinking about it before you go and apply for a job or take a location or move your family — find a place that aligns with your mission and your need for impact.” — Chris Banks [0:23:29]

“Military retirees can be America’s secret weapon in terms of entrepreneurship.” — Chris Banks [0:28:04]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Christopher Banks on LinkedIn

Banks Industrial Group
Allentown by Billy Joel
The Wisdom of the Bullfrog
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

A good leader is aware of cybersecurity risks and tackles them intentionally! 

Today on Leadership Blueprints, we are joined by our very own information security practice leader, Bill Jones, to discuss all things cybersecurity. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about the very real cybersecurity threats that are out there, Bill’s career from the military to the FBI to MCFA, and more! 

We delve into what most leaders are blind to with regard to cybersecurity risks before touching on the importance of awareness and proactivity in information security practice. We even discuss some of the most valuable leadership lessons Bill has learned throughout his career. As always, we close with some rapid-fire questions for our guest and hear who he wants to network with in the near future. 

Thanks for listening! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• What Bill is seeing in the cybersecurity space at the moment. 
• Bill tells us about his career in the military and after active service. 
• What leaders aren’t aware they’re at risk of when it comes to cybersecurity. 
• How MCFA can help early on in the design of information security. 
• What attracted Bill to step into his position at MCFA. 

Quotes:

“IT systems have inherent risk as they support the business. The business leaders are accepting that risk whether they know it or not.” — Bill Jones 

“If your team doesn’t trust you, if they don’t know what you’re going to do ahead of time – then nothing happens.” — Bill Jones 

“[AI is] a great research tool!” — Bill Jones 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Bill Jones on LinkedIn

Team of Teams
Thinking in Bets

Start with Why

Flex

The 80/20 Principle

Risk

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

The difference between a stalled project and a successful ribbon-cutting ceremony lies in the project champion, a leader who possesses the courage, fortitude, and strategic mindset to navigate complex bureaucracies and transform ambitious plans into multigenerational realities.

Today on the podcast, BJ is joined by MCFA’s Brian Pieplow and Michael Fuhrman to talk about the necessity of cultivating a project champion to manage upcoming billion-dollar infrastructure programs. They unpack the three As, characteristics all project champions have, and highlight the importance of third-party consultants who provide the objective perspective needed. They also introduce the DNA framework, a strategic tool to help leaders assess project viability and overcome institutional inertia. 

Tune in now to learn why leadership-driven approaches are critical to infrastructure projects to deliver long-term value to the public. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Understanding the importance of a champion in moving projects forward.
• They dig into the three As of a project champion.
• How external partners bridge organizational gaps and enable effective execution of vision.
• Brian takes us through the DNA process: discover, navigate, accelerate.
• The importance of the project charter.

Quotes:

“Sometimes a third party within your organization can color outside the line and kind of protect and buffer the internal champion.” — Michael Fuhrman  

“Discover, navigate, [and] accelerate is not necessarily a linear process, but it's iterative.” — Brian Pieplow  

“Multigenerational projects are not easy and not for the faint of heart.” — Michael Fuhrman 

“I think one takeaway — is the importance of the project charter, setting the tone and using DNA to help develop a strong project charter — every major project, mega project has a charter…” — Brian Pieplow 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brian Pieplow on LinkedIn

Michael Fuhrman, MCFA

Make No Little Plans:  A Planning as Project Development Approach to Building Infrastructure 

DNA Workshop Workbook

Study (managing risk)

Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty

JETC

American Planning Association Conference

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to turn an ambitious vision into a buildable, fundable reality? 

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer sits down with Brad Tubbs, president of Willis Construction Consulting, to discuss cost estimating, risk management, and the leadership role estimators play in complex construction projects. In their conversation, Brad explains why great estimators do far more than assign numbers to drawings, how estimators mentally build projects long before design is complete, and how they help owners and teams make better decisions earlier in the process. 

Brad shares how early estimating supports smarter planning and stronger project outcomes and unpacks the importance of communication, trust, team dynamics, and leadership. Brad also shares the lessons he has learned from leading his own firm, why estimating remains deeply creative work, and why the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and ask better questions still matters. 

Tune in to hear why cost estimating is not just a technical service, but a strategic advantage for owners, project teams, and future leaders in the built environment.

Key Points From This Episode:

• What early-stage cost estimating looks like and how estimators translate vision into scope.
• Learn how estimators break large creative ideas down into a detailed scope and budget. 
• Discover how estimating helps teams navigate risk, feasibility, and budget limitations. 
• Explore why effective communication is an essential skill for cost estimators. 
• Unpack why cost estimators are value-add rather than extra project cost.

Quotes:

“[Estimators] really have to define the big scope and then each one of our estimators in their own specialized division whittles that down into the small scope.” — Brad Tubbs

“The real value of an estimator – is the creativity and the imagination that you have to have as an estimator to understand what’s not currently shown in the documents and apply a solution to what’s not shown.” — Brad Tubbs

“The estimator is the person, in the team, who really is most intimate with the project as a whole.” — Brad Tubbs

“Learn the drawings, learn the process of design and engineering so that you can manage projects well, but also learn to communicate.” — Brad Tubbs

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Brad Tubbs

Brad Tubbs on LinkedIn

Willis Construction Consulting

Brad Tubbs Email

Heroic Leadership

The Power of One 

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

What does it take to build a championship football program that shapes not just great athletes but exceptional leaders? 

In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, host BJ Kraemer sits down with Frank DeLano, Head Football Coach at Haddonfield Memorial High School, to explore how to build a winning culture rooted in relationships, values, and community, and his leadership lessons from decades of success on and off the field. 

Frank explains the origins of his “we” philosophy, the mission statement that guides his coaching, and how creating a sense of belonging for every player can change a team into a family. He delves into the challenges behind youth sports culture, the pitfalls of early specializations, and the importance of relationships, communication, and core values in a “me-first” world. He also shares how to cultivate team culture, develop leaders, and leave the game better than you found it. 

Tune in to learn how to lead with purpose, passion, and humility with Frank DeLano.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Frank’s coaching mission statement and the values that shape his leadership.
• Why he chose to eliminate individual awards from his football program.
• Find out what his “we, not me” philosophy looks like on and off the field. 
• Why relationships and communication are essential for meeting kids where they are.
• The benefits of multi-sport and the dangers of youth sports specialization.

Quotes:

“I have always loved the passion of the X and O part of football. I always knew that being a fan simply wasn’t good enough.” — Frank DeLano 

“Rules are for people who don’t have discipline. Standards are for those who want to be elite.” — Frank DeLano 

“[Coaches] didn’t invent [football] and our job is to make this game a little bit better than when we found it.” — Frank DeLano 

“Clinic seasons are great; they’re also dangerous. Because you might sit in front of someone for 45 minutes, they’ve got this wonderful idea, and they never told you what went wrong.” — Frank DeLano 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Frank DeLano

Haddonfield Memorial High School 

InSideOut Coaching: How Sports Can Transform Lives

Do You Love Football?: Winning with Heart, Passion, and Not Much Sleep

Fearless: How an Underdog Becomes a Champion

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn

It’s easy to assume that growth comes from adding more, but it often actually requires doing less with greater intention.

Today on the Leadership Blueprints Podcast, BJ sits down with Jeff Evenson, Scaling Strategist at Scaling.com, where he helps clients 10x their business in three years or less, which Jeff describes as the “impossible goal”. Tuning in, you’ll find out what it really means to grow a business strategically, including compressing timelines to sharpen decision-making, learning how to distinguish signal from noise, and setting clear boundaries around what not to pursue. Jeff introduces the concept of “frame, floor, focus,” and explains how simplifying priorities can unlock higher-impact opportunities. He also explores the identity shift required of leaders as their roles evolve, and why coaching and accountability are essential to sustaining progress. 

Listen in for a grounded, practical perspective on leading and scaling with intention!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Using time as a tool to force better decisions and innovation.
• The concept of signal vs. noise in business decisions.
• Identifying which opportunities are distractions rather than true growth paths.
• Introducing “frame, floor, focus” as a scaling framework.
• Setting a floor to define what work and clients to say no to.

Quotes:

“The impossible goal is a 10x goal, but the more impossible piece of it is to collapse and use time as a tool.” — Jeff Evenson 

“If we use time as a tool, we can force people to think differently and create innovative pathways to get to that 10x goal in a much shorter timeframe.” — Jeff Evenson 

“That floor will indicate what things we can do, and, more importantly, what things we say no to.” — Jeff Evenson 

“Personally, professionally, having somebody [who] is always in your corner, yet is also relatively rigorous with accountability, is a superpower.” — Jeff Evenson 

“Our goals and our future self really shape who we are today.” — Jeff Evenson 

“The goal is just a tool. We don't want it to be a cudgel or a punishment or anything like that. We want it to be a tool, a useful tool that challenges our thinking and really shapes our decision making now.” — Jeff Evenson 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Jeff Evenson on LinkedIn

Jeff Evenson Email

Scaling.com

The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible

Bill Watkins on LinkedIn

Dan Sullivan Books

Benjamin Hardy Books

Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less

Freddie Kim on LinkedIn

MILSPEC TALENT

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Leadership Blueprints Podcast

Leadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTube

MCFA

MCFA Careers

BJ Kraemer on LinkedIn