He is the opposite of Elon Musk and "Founder Mode" being promoted by some of the loudest voices in business today. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talks about human-centered leadership. It's what Lone Rock Leadership Co-Founder Russ Hill says is the core of the 3rd Leader approach advocated in the Lead In 30 course. Staya Nadella transformed Microsoft from a competitive, siloed culture into a collaborative powerhouse that grew from $300 billion to $3 trillion in market value.

Link to full interview between Adam Grant and Satya Nadella: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0E8eUQ5KXg

• Contrasting leadership styles: "founder mode" (directive, demanding) vs. "third leader" (participatory, human-centered)
• Microsoft's extraordinary growth under Nadella: 10x market cap, over 1,000% stock price increase
• The "Model, Coach, Care" management framework that develops great managers
• How psychological safety and vulnerability create better business outcomes
• Growth mindset as a core cultural principle: transitioning from "know-it-alls" to "learn-it-alls"
• The power of continuous learning through daily human interactions
• Leadership that values both high performance and human dignity

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!

You want to get promoted. You want to be invited to the higher-level meetings. You want to make more money. You want to scale your career faster. How do you make that happen? In this episode of the Lead In 30 podcast, Lone Rock Leadership Co-founder Russ Hill shares three critical moves to unlock the career advancement you're seeking for yourself.

• Own your narrative by building a consistent story of impact and articulating how your work connects to strategic priorities
• Define what makes you different from others with your title and identify gaps in your professional story that need development
• Think like an owner by considering yourself responsible for the entire business, not just your department
• Make your boss's job easier by anticipating problems, reducing surprises, and removing friction in the system
• Always come to meetings prepared with potential solutions, not just problems
• Focus relentlessly on high-leverage activities that genuinely move the needle for the business
• Be visible by offering ideas, challenging the status quo respectfully, and taking on additional projects
• Expand your contribution before seeking to expand your role, title or compensation
• Focus visibility efforts close to customers and revenue-generating activities
• Determine which of these three areas requires your immediate attention for career growth

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!

Some of you just want to be liked. Others of you are obsessed with the scoreboard. The crowd and the metrics shouldn't be your ultimate gauges of success or value. In this episode Lone Rock Leadership Cofounder Russ Hill explores where leaders seek validation and how this fundamental choice defines leadership effectiveness, sustainability, and ability to scale.

• First Leaders seek validation from the crowd, prioritizing harmony and being liked
• This approach creates pleasant environments but often fails to drive results
• Second Leaders seek validation from scoreboard metrics, authority, and status symbols
• While driving short-term results, this leadership style struggles with innovation and retention
• The most effective leaders seek validation first internally, staying consistent with their principles
• Trusted advisors who provide honest feedback form a second critical validation source
• External validation—whether from crowds or scoreboards—is ultimately unreliable
• Some people will unfairly judge you regardless of your actions or intentions
• If you don't have critics, you're likely not making enough impact
• Understanding your validation source requires honest self-assessment

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!