Wisdom Of Wrench Podcast

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Build Followship: Talent 3 of 3 That Exceptional Leaders Must Develop

May 12, 2025

Guest

Ray Dias

Ray Dias, a seasoned leader with over 30 years at Wrench Group, shares powerful insights on building followship in leadership. He discusses how humility and selflessness lead to trust within teams, allowing them to thrive. The conversation highlights the need for supportive leadership styles that prioritize employee growth and interdependence. Through personal stories, Dias illustrates how overcoming ego and embracing patience can inspire extraordinary loyalty. Listeners will discover actionable strategies to enhance their leadership impact and foster long-term team success.

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insights

INSIGHT

Followship Is Self-Earned

Leadership is what you do for your people, but followship is what your people choose to do for you.
Followship is out of your direct control; it's built on how you lead.

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ADVICE

Ask Questions To Empower

Ask your team great questions that help them find their own answers.
Act as a resource, guiding them down paths of discovery rather than handing solutions.

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ADVICE

Discipline To Ask Questions

Even when you know the answer, ask your team questions to promote their problem-solving.
This patience preserves learning and ownership in their growth process.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Cultivating Followership: The Key to Leadership Excellence

02:15 • 3min

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The Power of Followership

05:05 • 9min

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The Art of Intentional Leadership

14:05 • 18min

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Leading by Example: Cultivating Followership

31:41 • 7min

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Servant Leadership and Progress Over Perfection

38:59 • 21min

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Concluding Reflections on Leadership Growth

59:42 • 2min

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The Gap and The Gain

The High Achievers' Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success

Dan Sullivan

Benjamin Hardy

This book introduces the concept of 'The Gap and The Gain', developed by Dan Sullivan, which helps high achievers understand why they are often unhappy despite their accomplishments. It explains that measuring oneself against an ideal (the Gap) leads to dissatisfaction, while measuring against past achievements (the Gain) fosters happiness, gratitude, and motivation. The book is a masterclass on positive psychology, healthy relationships, mental well-being, and high-performance, offering practical advice on how to shift focus to appreciate progress and achieve greater fulfillment and success.

Turn The Ship Around!

L. David Marquet

In 'Turn the Ship Around! ', Captain L. David Marquet recounts his experience as the commander of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Initially trained in the traditional 'know all–tell all' leadership model, Marquet faced significant challenges when he took command of the Santa Fe, which was then one of the worst-performing submarines in the fleet. He realized that the traditional leader-follower approach was ineffective and decided to implement a leader-leader model, where every crew member was empowered to take responsibility and make decisions. This approach led to a dramatic improvement in morale, performance, and retention, transforming the Santa Fe into one of the best submarines in the fleet. The book provides practical insights and strategies for implementing this leadership model in various organizational settings.

The Dream Manager

A business parable about how companies can achieve remarkable results by helping their employees fulfill their dreams

Matthew Kelly

The book tells the story of a fictional company, Admiralty Janitorial Services, which is grappling with high turnover and low morale. The general manager, Simon Roberts, discovers that the key to motivation is not higher pay or titles, but the fulfillment of employees' personal dreams. By implementing a 'Dream Manager' program, the company helps employees achieve their dreams, leading to increased performance, lower turnover, and greater productivity. The book emphasizes the connection between personal dreams and work engagement, providing a step-by-step plan for implementing such a program in any organization.

What does it take to have your team run through walls for you? In this compelling episode of Wisdom of Wrench, hosts Kevin Comerford and Amanda Meyer are joined by Ray Dias to tackle the secret ingredient of exceptional leadership: Building Followship. Episode 15 wraps up our enlightening 3-part series on leadership talents, pinpointing why inspiring loyalty and trust is the ultimate mark of a truly remarkable leader.

Followship isn’t about power, it’s about earning your team’s belief in YOU. Discover how humility, patience, and selflessness transform managers from drill sergeants to trusted coaches. Through insightful stories and hard lessons, this discussion demystifies why great leaders put their teams in the spotlight, prioritize development, and balance discipline with care.

You'll hear real examples of overcoming ego, pulling out hidden talent, and creating interdependence within dynamic organizations. Learn how Kevin’s early struggles as a leader changed his entire approach, Amanda’s patience built loyalty, and Ray's wisdom solidified decades of leadership experience.

If you’ve ever wondered how to inspire heroic efforts from your team while fostering their long-term growth, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can start using today. Building followship isn’t a skill—it’s a responsibility. See how you can step up as the kind of leader your people will never forget.

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🔧 Wrench LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thewrenchgroup

Chapters:

0:00 - What is Followship? Leadership’s Best Kept Secret

0:54 - Welcome to Part 3 of the Three Talents Series!

1:06 - Recap: Courage, Responsibility, and Building Followership

2:05 - Spotlight on the Real Deal: 30 Years of Wisdom From Ray Diaz

3:17 - Building Followship: Getting Others to Run Through Walls For You

4:17 - Amanda’s Key Insight: Why You Must Be Willing to Serve First

6:04 - Dealing with Passion Gone Wrong: A Story of Redeeming Potential

7:08 - Coaching to Unleash Talent: The Evolution of MVP Departments

8:26 - Patience Pays Off: Building Loyalty and Dedication in Your Team

10:09 - Followship as Glue: What Really Keeps a Team Together

11:06 - Selflessness in Leadership: Sit in the Small Chair

13:13 - Asking Better Questions to Develop Your Team

16:04 - The Power of Listening: Leading Through Discovery

20:29 - Avoiding Dependency: Interdependence is the Goal

25:13 - Leadership Evolution: Learning From Mistakes—and Growing Past Ego

30:12 - Why Discipline Begins With Being a Humble Leader

34:39 - The Biggest Barrier to Followship

39:47 - Progress vs. Perfection: Building Confidence in Your Team

44:25 - How to Celebrate Wins and Catch People Doing Things Right

47:55 - Top Performers Love Accountability—How to Support Their Success

50:04 - Walk the Talk: Leave Things Better Than You Found Them

55:03 - Focus on the Process, Not the Person: Managing Without Drama

59:17 - Wrapping Up: Final Thoughts on Building Exceptional Leadership

1:00:24 - Encouraging Courage: Actionable Steps to Build Leadership Today!

1:01:12 - Taking Responsibility: Self-Assessment Tips for Better Decisions

1:02:21 - Building Followship: Make Service and Joy Your Legacy

1:04:28 - Thank You for Listening – Here’s to a Bigger Future Together!

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