Kristen Russell’s leadership journey is anything but linear. From managing engineers at Sun Microsystems to leading global operations at Oracle, serving as Colorado’s first Secretary of Technology, and now guiding CBTS as CEO, her career has been shaped by two questions: Can I learn? and Can I contribute? That curiosity has helped her lead large-scale transformations across industries and navigate the often-messy space between agreement and alignment.

Episode Takeaways

• Transformation is emotional, not just strategic. Leaders often focus on the intellectual side of strategy while overlooking the emotions people experience during change. As Kristen puts it, “strategy is intellectual, transformation is emotional.” 
• Communication is never one-and-done. Alignment requires ongoing dialogue, listening, and clarification. If you’re tired of repeating yourself, your team may just be starting to absorb the message. 
• Focus on advocates, not just skeptics. Early in her career, Kristen spent too much energy trying to convert the loudest detractors. She learned that investing in champions creates momentum that helps bring the broader organization along. 
• Clarity is a leader’s primary job. In the absence of clarity, people fill in the blanks themselves. Transparency about what is working, what is not, and what remains uncertain builds trust and keeps teams moving forward. 
• Work on the team before the strategy. At CBTS, Kristen prioritized leadership team alignment, role clarity, and shared ways of working before tackling ambitious transformation efforts. Sometimes the fastest path forward starts with slowing down long enough to get aligned. 

One of the most memorable ideas from this conversation is that leaders cannot simply sponsor change for others. They must change how they lead. Alignment is not a presentation, a project plan, or a motivational poster collecting dust in the break room. It is the daily work of creating clarity, building trust, having the hard conversations, and keeping your hands on the wheel as the road changes.

To connect with Kristin Russell outside of this episode, connect with her on LinkedIn here.
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