It's graduation time. Russ has three people in his expanded family getting college degrees this month. The advice Lone Rock Leadership co-founder Russ Hill would give them is no different than what he says he would share with so many of you who are trying to lead teams and companies.

• Contrary to popular belief, your college major rarely determines your career success
• Research shows intolerance of uncertainty correlates directly with higher anxiety and lower happiness
• Studies reveal each additional two hours of daily sitting increases depression risk by 27%
• Financial stability gives you freedom to make career decisions without fear
• James Dyson built 5,126 failed prototypes before creating his successful vacuum

Focus on what you can control, embrace uncertainty, and keep moving forward - physically and professionally. These principles apply whether you're graduating college or leading an executive team.

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Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

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About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

You've heard of all four companies. Two of them are battling massive declines. Two are incredible examples of growth. Why the difference? It all came down to their leadership teams' ability to lead through change and disruption.

This is part two of our series on leading through change with Lone Rock Leadership Co-founder Russ Hill.

• Pizza Hut and Subway demonstrate the consequences of failing to adapt to changing market conditions
• Both chains failed to return to pre-pandemic revenue levels due to outdated business models
• Chipotle doubled revenue and quadrupled net income by embracing digital innovation
• Chick-fil-A nearly tripled per-store revenue through continuous innovation and future-focused leadership
• The ChangeOS model reveals how organizations move through status quo, mourning, adapting, and innovating phases
• Most struggling companies get stuck in the mourning phase, unable to accept new realities
• Effective change leadership requires validating initial concerns while preventing extended mourning
• Leaders must embody excitement about future possibilities rather than anxiety about disruption
• Your value in the marketplace directly correlates to your ability to lead through change

Share this episode with a colleague, your team or a friend. Tap on the share button and text the link.

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Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

Your brain hates and loves change. It despises it yet craves it at the same time. If it's true for your brain then it's true for all your employees too. So, as the rate of change increases in the world around us - think tariffs, think AI, think market swings, think customer demands, think hybrid work - have you stopped to consider what your strategy is for leading through change?

Here's some of what Lone Rock Leadership co-founder Russ Hill dives into in this jam-packed episode:

• Status quo bias makes us perceive changes as threats, triggering unconscious resistance
• Novelty seeking drives our desire for innovation, new experiences, and fresh approaches
• The modern workplace is transforming at unprecedented speed, requiring greater adaptability
• Leaders must position themselves on the past-present-future continuum based on their role
• Senior executives need to operate 6-12 months ahead while building teams that handle present operations
• Effective change leadership acknowledges both our resistance to change and desire for innovation
• Organizations moving too slowly risk irrelevance while those changing too frequently create fatigue
• Building strong teams enables leaders to focus on future strategy rather than present operations

In our next episode, we'll explore the tactical aspects of leading people through the three stages of organizational change.

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

Organizational disruption is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of leadership that can dramatically enhance innovation and growth when applied strategically. Too many companies keep the same people in the same seats for too long, creating stagnation that hurts creativity, motivation, and ultimately, market performance.

• Johnson & Johnson's military-style three-year rotation model promotes innovation and fresh thinking
• Whitney Johnson's book "Disrupt Yourself" details the S-curve of innovation and why personal disruption is essential
• Strategic disruption increases motivation, innovative thinking, and helps break through status quo mentality
• Organizations with the same leadership for extended periods often see flattened growth curves
• Top executives regularly make strategic changes to their leadership teams to maintain momentum
• Not all organizations need disruption—some currently need stability first
• Thoughtful, strategic implementation works better than chaotic reorganization

Share this episode with a colleague, your team or a friend. Tap on the share button and text the link.

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

We call them silos but what we really are describing is division that exists in our organizations. Division is one of the biggest issues in society, and this same problem exists within many of the companies we lead.

• What truly creates a team is having both a common desired purpose and a common external threat
• Organizations with cultural problems typically have internal enemies (other departments) rather than external threats
• Underdeveloped leaders are holding organizations back when companies only train on technical skills and not leadership
• Purpose must drive organizations, not just revenue or growth targets
• Unity happens when teams share common metrics instead of competing departmental goals
• Leaders must frequently communicate both purpose and the common threats the organization faces

Share this episode with a colleague, your team, or a friend. Tap on the share button and text the link.

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

It's so clear which managers and executives are going to lose their jobs and who shouldn't be concerned as the AI army begins to deploy across the workforce. In this episode Lone Rock Leadership co-founder Russ Hill dives into how to stay ahead of the AI learning curve and how to know if your job is at risk.

• The growing prevalence of AI in business conversations
• Importance of leaders understanding AI tools for career relevance
• Job roles at greater risk of being replaced by automation
• The need for professionals to articulate their unique contributions
• Identifying industries offering resilience against AI disruption
• Emphasis on lifelong learning and adaptability in one's career

Share this episode with a colleague, your team, or a friend. Tap on the share button and text the link. Thanks for listening to the Lead in 30 podcast with Russ Hill.

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

Do they know what you think? Are you sharing your beliefs? How long do you wait before saying what you really think?

You're impacting and steering the efficiency of your team. In this episode Lone Rock Leadership cofounder Russ Hill shares why a tight feedback loop is critical to delivering results.

• Feedback loops streamline communication and foster trust
• Seeking feedback is the first and most important step
• Appreciative feedback increases receptiveness to constructive critique
• Constructive feedback should be specific and actionable
• Deliver feedback promptly to ensure relevance
• Direct conversations enhance understanding over written communication
• Embrace discomfort to develop feedback skills and confidence

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!

You track your calories, steps, and tasks but how are you tracking your productivity and fulfillment? The author of Good to Great, Jim Collins, shares his system for rating each day. Lone Rock Leadership co-founder Russ Hill shares the system and why he's a huge fan of it.

• Distinction between activity and meaningful results
• Jim Collins' system after writing Good to Great book
• Evaluating productivity through a personalized rating system
• Practical applications of tracking emotional and intellectual engagement
• Encouragement for leaders to define their own metrics for success
• Importance of aligning actions with personal and organizational goals

Share this episode with a colleague, your team, or a friend. Tap on the share button and text the link. Thanks for listening to the Lead in 30 podcast with Russ Hill.

--
Get weekly leadership tips delivered to your email inbox:
Subscribe to our leadership email newsletter
https://www.leadin30.com/newsletter

Connect with me on LinkedIn or to send me a DM:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russleads/

Tap here to check out my first book, Decide to Lead, on Amazon. Thank you so much to the thousands of you who have already purchased it for yourself or your company!

--
About the podcast:
The Lead In 30 Podcast with Russ Hill is for leaders of teams who want to grow and accelerate their results. In each episode, Russ Hill shares what he's learned consulting executives. Subscribe to get two new episodes every week. To connect with Russ message him on LinkedIn!