THE FOUNDATIONAL CLS WORKSHOP
Leadership and the Middle Path
Give your managers a shared system for solving problems, making decisions and following through—without every difficult issue rolling back uphill.
Leadership and the Middle Path is an intensive, practice-based workshop that helps managers think more clearly, work through difficult situations together and turn decisions into action. It provides the problem-solving foundation for the Collaborative Leadership System—and can also be delivered as a stand-alone workshop for your management team.
Looking to attend on your own? View upcoming public workshops.
Capable managers don’t always have a shared way to handle difficult work
As a company grows, managers face problems that cannot be solved by expertise or good intentions alone. Priorities compete. People interpret the same situation differently. Decisions affect multiple teams. Tension rises—and the fastest route can seem to be sending the issue back to a founder or senior leader.
You may see it when:
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Managers jump to solutions before they agree on the real problem and its causes.
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Decisions require too many rounds of discussion or senior-leader intervention.
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Meetings end with intentions rather than clear agreements.
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Difficult conversations are postponed, softened beyond usefulness, or escalated unnecessarily.
Leadership and the Middle Path gives managers a shared way to work through these situations together.
How the workshop changes the way managers work
The workshop is designed to change what managers do when problems are difficult, disagreement is real, or the next move is unclear.
Instead of...
Managers learn to...
Jumping quickly to a solution
Examine the whole system and define the right problem first
Arguing from fixed positions
Gather relevant evidence, test assumptions and evaluate options against clear criteria
Treating disagreement as something to avoid or win
Seek understanding and work through differences directly
Leaving ownership and deadlines implied
Form explicit who/what/when agreements
Returning every difficult issue to a senior leader
Work through more problems collaboratively and follow through on the decisions they make
Over time, these shared practices can reduce rework, improve the quality of management conversations and help the management team carry more of the company’s weight.
"Russ provided us with concrete tools for uncovering and understanding problems within ourselves, our teams, and our organizations. His structured approach helps identify where we may be stuck and offers a clear path forward.”
–Amar Virk
Product Lead
Stripe
Managers build fluency through application and feedback
The workshop alternates between focused instruction and active application. Managers use each new framework to work through realistic problems, compare interpretations, test possible responses, rehearse difficult conversations, and get direct feedback.
For company cohorts, two small-group Mastery Sessions extend that practice into live work. Managers bring situations from their jobs, work through them using the frameworks, and get focused feedback—helping the skills become easier to use day to day.
The format supports that progression:
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Two full days when delivered in person; four half-days when delivered virtually
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Between-session application in the virtual format
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Two small-group Mastery Sessions recommended for company cohorts, with the first held four to six weeks after the workshop
"The most valuable aspect was the practice time with our teammates, and then review time with Russ directly."
–Peter Bui
Senior Software Engineer
Patreon
The foundation for the Collaborative Leadership System
Leadership and the Middle Path establishes a common way for managers to think through problems, test assumptions, reach sound decisions, form clear agreements, and address difficult issues together.
It can be delivered as a stand-alone workshop, but its fullest value comes as the foundation for the Collaborative Leadership System, where managers build on these practices as they learn to lead individuals and teams more effectively.
Built for real management work
The Middle Path curriculum was designed by Chris Holmberg and has been used with managers in more than 160 organizations—from technical startups to Fortune 100 companies—across 15 countries.
Russ brings more than three decades of experience in organizational development, learning design, facilitation, and coaching. His sessions are practical and highly participatory, giving managers repeated opportunities to work with the ideas rather than simply hear about them.
"At Mighty, we saw immediate business impact from our work with Russ. Our team was able to collaborate more efficiently and communicate more clearly, saving time and improving decision-making. His work emphasized shared frameworks and language that teams can take with them long after a workshop ends."
–Jessica Shambora
Sr. Director, Product Management
Mighty Networks
“I used to be hesitant to approach conflicts. Today, I feel more prepared and confident about approaching these situations.”
–Leo Meira
Engineering Manager
Pearl Health
Bring Leadership and the Middle Path to your management team
For company cohorts, Leadership and the Middle Path can be delivered in person or virtually. Participants bring real work challenges into the workshop and use the frameworks to work through decisions, cross-functional problems, and difficult conversations—building individual skill and a more consistent way of working together.
Looking to attend on your own?
Individuals can join selected public cohorts. These workshops cover the same core curriculum and are a good fit for managers attending independently or from organizations that are not bringing a full management team.
Next virtual workshop
September 16, 17, 23 and 24, 2026 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (Pacific) each day • Live on Zoom
Upcoming in-person workshop
October 21–22, 2026
8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (Pacific)
San Rafael, California
Tuition for either format
Register 60+ days in advance
Register 30-59 days in advance
Standard tuition within 30 days
Leadership and the Middle Path (in-person, two full days)
Leadership and the Middle Path (virtual, four half days)
$1,850 USD
$2,000 USD
$2,150 USD
$1,850 USD
$2,000 USD
$2,150 USD
A $500 deposit reserves your seat. Tuition includes printed materials and a small-group follow-up practice session four to six weeks after the workshop.
How it works: Register early and save. Contact Russ for discount codes and/or questions.
Help your managers solve more of the right problems—together.
Leadership and the Middle Path gives managers practical frameworks for working through difficult problems, making sound decisions, reaching clear agreements, and handling disagreement more effectively.
If that would help your management team carry more of the company’s weight, let’s talk.