Russ Powell

As a Shadow Leaders advisor in leadership and team development, I help founders and leadership teams at scale-ups develop technically skilled managers into confident, effective leaders. Fast-growing companies promote people who are strong at solving technical problems, then discover that leadership requires a different kind of problem-solving — one that involves people.

I’ve spent 25+ years coaching and training leaders — from startups like Patreon and Mighty Networks to global brands like Google and SAP to government agencies including the IRS and U.S. Coast Guard. Earlier in my career, I led award-winning instructional systems design teams at Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle) and the Coast Guard. Today, I bring that experience to helping managers in growing companies become stronger leaders.

My approach is hands-on. I believe leadership comes down to two things: solving problems well and helping the people around you become better problem solvers — which is why collaborative problem-solving sits at the center of everything I teach.

Bottom line: I help leaders solve hard problems and build teams that can do the same.

I’m a Certified Associate of Middle Path Consulting, certified in Hogan Assessments and DiSC, and a multiple award winner from ISPI (International Society for Performance Improvement) and Brandon Hall Group. I’m always open to speaking engagements, workshops, or conversations about leadership and growth.

Areas of expertise: leadership development, executive coaching, organizational development, Hogan Assessments (certified coach), DiSC (certified facilitator), collaborative problem-solving frameworks.