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Russ Hill is co-founder and senior partner at Lead In 30. His passion is to help build leaders. For more than two decades, Russ has coached and consulted executives at some of the world’s biggest companies. His clients include Amazon, Walmart, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Cigna, and Hormel. He hosts The Culture Hacks Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and is the author of three books: The Great Resignation, Remoteability, and Decide to Lead, available on Amazon and at all major book retailers.

Russ Hill

Effective leadership isn’t being a dictator. It takes more than just telling your team what to do or how to do something. While clear instructions and delegation are necessary, the difference between a good leader and a great one comes down to one thing: purpose. Great leaders don’t just explain the what and the how—they also take time to explain why this task matters. Understanding the larger purpose and impact behind their work helps people stay more engaged, motivated, and aligned. Let’s talk about it.The Power of the WhyWhen leaders focus on the why, they’re creating a pathway for a deeper connection to the organization’s mission. This connection doesn’t just help teams understand the immediate tasks at hand. It helps the team understand how their work contributes to the broader success of the organization. That sense of meaning boosts engagement, motivation, and encourages people to think bigger. Rather than just mindlessly completing tasks, they become active contributors. They become invested in the success of the team and the company because they understand where they fit into the puzzle. Purpose MattersA key part of Lead in 30 is that after you’ve created your TKRs, you need to “make the case.” This is building a persuasive case for your TKRs. The first crucial step is to “make the why compelling” to help team members see the reason behind each TKR. Research shows that having a strong sense of purpose behind a task will shift a person from needing to do a task to wanting to do it. Communicating why that TKR was chosen and how it affects the overarching organizational goals helps people feel a greater sense of purpose and ownership. Focusing on the bigger picture helps leaders create clarity. This will directly translate to greater engagement and motivation for the team to complete the necessary tasks. A leader who communicates the why behind the mission inspires their team to work toward that shared goal. When teams are aligned with that larger purpose, they become more adaptable, driven, and united in their approach to overcoming challenges.Why the “Why” Matters in Tough TimesThe power of explaining the why becomes even more critical during times of uncertainty or change. Employees might struggle to navigate difficult circumstances if they don’t fully understand the reasons behind new strategies or shifts in priorities. This is where great leaders step in, providing clear instructions and explaining the why behind each decision. Doing so instills a sense of trust, reduces confusion, and makes transitions smoother.A good leader gives instructions and ensures compliance, but a great leader engages their team at a deeper level, making sure they’re on board with both the method and the motivation. This level of transparency encourages ownership and autonomy, building trust and fostering resilience when things get tough.Practical Tips to Lead With PurposeMake the Case. Whether you’re launching a new project or setting TKRs, always start by explaining why the project or task is important. Help your team understand how their contributions fit into the larger strategy and company objectives.Tie Individual Roles to the Bigger Picture. Don’t assume your team members understand how their specific roles affect the overall mission. Make it clear how their work connects to the organization’s success.Encourage Questions. Inviting questions encourages open dialogue. It’s not enough to deliver a speech about the why—you need to create space for team members to ask questions and seek clarification, which helps them internalize the purpose. Remember, clarity is messy, and it happens out loud.Regularly Revisit the Why. As projects progress and circumstances change, don’t let the why fall by the wayside. Regularly remind your team why their efforts matter, especially when challenges arise or the team is feeling burned out.Lead by Example. If you want your team to embrace the why, ensure you embody that sense of purpose. Show enthusiasm for the larger mission and demonstrate through your actions that you’re fully committed to it.In leadership, it’s easy to focus on the “what” and “how” because they feel more immediate. Great leaders know that the “why” is just as important to fostering long-term success. It drives alignment, clarity, and motivation, empowering teams to push beyond basic tasks and contribute to something larger than themselves. When leaders focus on purpose, they create an environment where individuals feel valued and inspired to take ownership, collaborate, and grow.

Good Leaders Explain What and How. Great Leaders Explain Why.

Once you’ve created clarity, built alignment, and generated movement, it’s time to trust your team to take it from there. 

How Leading From the Back Can Push Your Team Forward

The intent in writing this article is to raise awareness of the problem with leadership training the way it exists now and to encourage people like you to be a part of the solution. Your managers need help. They need help delivering results and doing it in a way that people feel good about. If you stop reading right now and go to work on solving that, our work here has been successful.The way most companies are training managers and supervisors isn’t working. The Harvard Business School recently published The State of Leadership Development Report. Take a look at these statistics their researchers uncovered:Seventy-five percent of organizations rate their leadership development programs as not very effective.Only 18 percent of organizations say their leaders are “very effective” at meeting business goals.A mere 19 percent of organizations say they are “very effective” at developing leaders at all levels.Pretty startling, huh? It gets worse. Imagine reading those reviews on a product that costs $400 billion dollars! That’s how much companies spend collectively on leadership training annually, according to Forbes. This isn’t an indictment of any one particular company’s approach or any HR or L&D professional reading this article. It’s simply a suggestion that the industry needs to take a step back and acknowledge there’s a problem. So, what’s going wrong? Here’s what the data says about what’s wrong with the current approach to leadership training in most organizations:Disconnected From Business OutcomesYour managers are paid to deliver results. And yet an audit of LinkedIn Learning’s leadership courses revealed 97 percent of the content never referenced business outcomes. How is that even possible? While managers need help learning how to do effective performance reviews, be a better coach, have hard conversations, and build trust, none of those things will matter if they can’t deliver organizational outcomes. More Is Not MoreLeadership training companies deserve a lot of the blame for the state of the industry. In trying to get L&D teams to pay large licensing fees for access to their content, they’ve decided to go with the “more is more” approach. We were a bit surprised to discover 947 courses on video gaming strategies in LinkedIn Learning’s manager training programs. Although the courses on acne removal and clown makeup caught us off guard too. We didn’t watch any, so we can’t comment much on their overall instructional design.When 75 percent of people rate their leadership development training as ineffective, we can safely presume “more is not more.” Your managers don’t need access to more content, they need less.Too Theoretical – Lack of Immediate ApplicationManagers don’t want two full days of content or three books to read. The way current training programs are structured doesn’t lead to retention or application. Multiple studies show the typical learner retains 10–20 percent of what they’re taught in a full-day class. They retain more than 80 percent of what’s shared in one hour. Our brains and bodies don’t like long meetings or classes. They’re inefficient.Humans learn best with a blended approach, in cohorts rather than alone, with start and end dates, and with things they can apply immediately. Lack of Accountability and Follow-UpOne of the four fundamental flaws with existing management training programs is a lack of built-in accountability and follow-up. All too often we’re onto the next class teaching a whole new set of behaviors or competencies when the manager forgets or neglects what was taught in the last one. When we say follow-up, we don’t mean an email a week or two after the course with some reminders. No, effective accountability and follow-up are facilitated discussions where managers share how they’ve been trying to lead differently and what obstacles they’re running into. Additional models or learning tied to the core competencies already taught are introduced, helping the learner improve their skills in that critical area.It’s Time for a ChangeLeadership is more than just a set of skills; it involves making critical decisions about when and how to apply those skills. Leaders often rely on a pattern of responses based on their past experiences. These can become habits that may not be effective in changing situations. This happens because unconscious encoding processes shape responses, especially under stress. Adapting behaviors requires conscious effort and openness, which can be challenging in the high-pressure environments many leaders face today.

The Leadership Training Industry Is Broken

When it comes to leadership, vulnerability is often mistaken for weakness. However, research and practical experience show that demonstrating vulnerability to your team as a leader can actually be a strength. Embracing vulnerability is required to build trust, encourage open communication, and build a stronger, more cohesive team. Today, we’re going to discuss the transformative power of vulnerability in leadership and some practical tips for starting to be more vulnerable with your team today. The Power of Vulnerability in LeadershipBrené Brown, a renowned researcher on vulnerability, defines it as “uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.” For leaders, this means admitting when you don’t have all the answers. It also includes sharing your challenges and being open to feedback. Vulnerability fosters trust, encourages open communication, and builds stronger relationships within teams. Long story short, it makes you seem more human and much more relatable. Building Trust and ConnectionWhen leaders show vulnerability, they create an environment where employees feel safe to express their honest thoughts and ideas. This openness leads to stronger connections and trust. Teams that trust their leaders are more engaged, more innovative, and more willing to go the extra mile. The flip side of is that when teams don’t trust their leader or organization, you’ll see higher levels of stress, more burnout, and lower retention rates. Encouraging Authenticity and EngagementVulnerable leaders are authentic leaders. Authenticity in leadership means being true to yourself and aligning your actions with team or organizational values. When leaders are authentic, they inspire their teams to be genuine and committed to their work. This authenticity boosts employee engagement and morale. It also creates a culture where employees feel valued and motivated to do their best work. Enhancing Learning and GrowthAdmitting mistakes and uncertainties is a key aspect of vulnerability. This openness to imperfection encourages a culture of continuous learning and growth. When leaders acknowledge their mistakes, they set an example for their teams to embrace failure as a learning opportunity. A growth mindset is necessary for success. Vulnerable leaders show that it’s OK to make mistakes and demonstrate how to learn from them. This not only creates an opportunity for personal growth but also drives innovation and resilience throughout the organization as a whole. Improving Decision MakingVulnerable leaders seek input and feedback from their teams, leading to better decision making. By considering diverse perspectives, leaders can make more informed and effective decisions. This collaborative approach not only improves outcomes and helps you hit those TKRs but also allows employees to take ownership of their work. This is one of the most effective ways to be sure your decisions align with the organization’s goals and values while simultaneously improving your team’s cooperation and performance.Practical Steps to Embrace VulnerabilityLet’s go over a few simple ways you can start to embrace vulnerability with your team:Admit When You Don’t Know: It’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” You’re only human; not knowing is part of that experience. Being honest about the unknown opens the door for collaboration and problem-solving.Share Personal Stories: Share experiences of challenges and failures. This helps humanize you and makes you more relatable to your team.Ask for Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from your team and act on it. This shows that you value their opinions and are committed to improvement.Encourage Open Communication: Create a safe space for employees to share their thoughts and ideas without fear of judgment.Lead by Example: Demonstrate vulnerability through your actions. Be transparent about your goals, challenges, and decisions.Vulnerability is a cornerstone of effective leadership. By embracing vulnerability, leaders can build trust, encourage authenticity, foster growth, and improve decision making. It’s time to shift the narrative and recognize that showing vulnerability is not a weakness but a powerful strength. Embrace vulnerability and watch how it transforms your leadership and your organization.

How Showing Vulnerability Can Strengthen Your Leadership

Here are four common struggles new leaders experience in the first few weeks of the job and how to avoid them.

First Week Woes: Real-Life Struggles of New Leaders

How to Create Your Leader Operating System

New research shows three groups in every organization need the attention of those responsible for training and development. We asked more than 1,000 executives, managers, and L&D employees throughout the last six months where the most urgent needs for training exist. The answer was virtually the same regardless of industry or company size. Join us as we present the findings and share the stories from the study exposing how performance is affected when these three groups aren’t prioritized.
During this event, you will:
• Learn how the LeaderOs model connects training directly to business results rather than just soft skills.
• Walk away with strategies you can apply immediately to transform your leadership development efforts and empower your managers to lead with clarity, alignment, and movement.
• See real-world case studies examples from organizations that have successfully implemented this radical new approach.
 
Primary Capability Covered: Career & Leadership Development
Participation in this event, either live or recorded, can be reported for one (1) professional development point toward initial certification or recertification requirements for the APTD or CPTD credential.
 

The 3 Groups That Most Need Leadership Training Now!

As kids across the country head back to school this August, it’s also the perfect time for L&D professionals, trainers, and managers to brush up on some new leadership development skills and strategies. During this "Back-to-School” Leadership Masterclass, you’ll learn how to master three critical leadership competencies: Clarity, Alignment, and Movement.
So, grab your backpack and sharpen your pencils. Leadership class is in session!

Learn how to implement the Leader Operating System (LeaderOS).
Learn about leader patterns and the first, second, and third leader types.
Learn how to use Clarity, Alignment, and Movement to become a more confident and competent leader.

Primary Capability Covered: Collaboration & Leadership
Participation in this event, either live or recorded, can be reported for one (1) professional development point toward recertification requirements for the APTD or CPTD credential.
 
 

Leadership Masterclass: 3 Critical Competencies

New research shows that more than economic or business concerns, human capital-related challenges like retaining and developing leaders is now the number one priority for CEOs. Yet, despite the best efforts of the L&D and training communities, traditional leadership development programs gain little traction or have an impact on business results.
But what if, in just 30 days, you could significantly transform every manager’s ability to lead. Every. Single. One.
During this event, we will:

Learn about the Leader Operating System (LeaderOS).
Use clarity, alignment, and movement to become a more confident and competent leader.
Discover if you’re a first or second leader and what it means to become a third leader. 


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