About Russ Powell Consulting
I help growing startups turn new and emerging managers into confident leaders who solve the right problems—well.
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I believe leadership is nearly synonymous with problem-solving. Leaders are always doing one of two things: solving problems or enabling problem-solving in others. The real question is—are they doing it well or poorly? I help them do it well.
Fast-growing startups and small businesses often promote talented, driven people into management roles—but even the smartest managers can falter without the right mindsets, skills, and habits. I’m often brought in by founders and executive teams when new and emerging managers (often including the founders and executive team) are:
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Avoiding tough conversations,
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Struggling to delegate,
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Losing focus on what matters most, or
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Solving the wrong problems—sometimes all at once.
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I help these managers build the mindsets and practical problem-solving skills they need to thrive. My workshops and coaching programs equip them to communicate clearly, create alignment, and deliver results—without burning out their teams or wasting time, money, or trust.
Russ Powell
Over the past 25+ years, I’ve coached and trained leaders in startups, global brands, and government agencies—including the IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and local governments such as Sonoma County and the City of Healdsburg. My approach blends organizational development expertise, real-world business experience, and hands-on coaching to deliver practical, lasting results.​
A Career in Organizational Development and Leadership
My expertise spans organizational development (OD), instructional systems design (ISD), and leadership development. I started my career in sales and customer service, where I learned firsthand how to inspire and lead teams. At MCI Telecommunications, I helped a call-center sales team climb from last place to first. At Brøderbund Software, I designed a program that boosted sales by 500%—and we did it the right way: playing to win with honor, without cutting corners or compromising integrity.
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Those early successes shaped my belief that great leadership is about solving problems skillfully while leading with values. Since then, I’ve helped leaders at every level sharpen their ability to think clearly, act deliberately, and create lasting results.
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I’m a Certified Associate of Middle Path Consulting, having trained directly with Chris Holmberg, a world-class organizational development expert whose leadership models have been applied in over 150 startups and Fortune 100 companies across 15 countries. I’m also certified in Hogan Leadership Assessments, DiSC, and multiple facilitation programs from Development Dimensions International (DDI), American Management Association (AMA), and Blessing/White.
What Makes My Approach Different
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Most leadership consultants teach communication skills, team-building exercises, or abstract “leadership traits.” I take a different approach—one that focuses on practical problem-solving and results.
1 – Problem-Solving First
To me, leadership is problem-solving. Every tough decision, every conversation, every strategy is about solving problems—or enabling others to do it. I help managers develop the mindsets and skills they need to solve the right problems well—quickly, collaboratively, and with integrity.
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2 – A Biological Systems Perspective
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People are not machines, and teams don’t work like clockwork. I help leaders see their organizations as biological systems—messy, adaptive, and alive. This perspective, inspired by books like Brave New Work (Aaron Dignan) and Leadership and the New Science (Margaret Wheatley), enables leaders to work with complexity instead of fighting it.
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3 – Simple, Practical, Powerful
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The frameworks I teach are easy to grasp but not always easy to master. That’s why my workshops emphasize hands-on practice, coaching, and real-world application. Participants don’t just leave with ideas—they leave with repeatable skills they can use immediately.
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4 – The Middle Path
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Too many leaders get stuck in extremes—being either overly “nice” or overly “tough,” mission-centric or profit-centric. My Middle Path leadership curriculum (designed by Chris Holmberg) teaches leaders to transcend binary thinking by integrating confidence with humility, flexibility with discipline, and mission with profit. These skills—rooted in timeless principles from Aristotle to Lao Tzu—consistently produce better, more sustainable results.
Highlights and Recognition
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Multiple awards of excellence from the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) for outstanding human performance interventions, including groundbreaking work with the U.S. Coast Guard.
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Gold Award for Excellence in Learning from Brandon Hall Group for a sales training program I created for Sun Microsystems (now a part of Oracle).
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Named a Top Coach in the San Francisco Bay Area by Influence Digest.
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Published contributor to Association for Talent Development (ATD), International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), North Bay Business Journal, and North Bay Biz Magazine.
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Frequent speaker at national and international conferences, including ATD, ISPI, and I4PL (Canadian training and development), as well as local chapters of PMI (Project Management) and ATD.
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Former adjunct instructor at Georgia State University and California State University, Monterey Bay.
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Guest on Jonathan Mahrt’s “On The Flywheel” podcast.
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Contributor to Dr. Shahron Williams van Rooij’s textbook, The Business Side of Learning Design and Technologies.
Who I Work With
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I partner with leaders across industries—from high-growth startups like Patreon, Mighty Networks, Medium, and Perfect Day to global brands like Google, Coca-Cola, and Delta Airlines. I also support public sector organizations, helping teams align, communicate, and perform at the highest levels.
A Bit About Me
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I founded Russ Powell Consulting in 2010 after 18 years as an internal consultant in OD and ISD. My work blends a deep understanding of human performance with a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to leadership.
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And yes—before all of this, I had an unexpected career as a professional juggler. In college, I performed regularly (clubs, torches, and all), and even appeared on stage at The Punchline comedy club in Atlanta. The lessons I learned about discipline, practice, and performing under pressure still shape how I coach leaders today.
If you’re ready to build a stronger, smarter, and more aligned leadership team, let’s talk. I offer high-impact workshops, executive coaching, and leadership assessments designed to help leaders solve the right problems, make faster decisions, and build teams that thrive.
Juggling torches, Santa Rosa, CA | Photo: JR Abiera
Speaking at I4PL, Toronto | Photo: Haley Chan
Speaking at UC Berkeley | Photo: Adrian Mendoza
Juggling torches, Santa Rosa, CA | Photo: JR Abiera
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