What does success look like?

It sounds like a simple question, but it may be one of the most difficult questions leaders ever ask.

In this episode of Questions Are Greater Than Answers, Dr. Russell Robinson explores two seemingly unrelated topics—the state of U.S. Soccer following the men's national team's World Cup exit and the ongoing debate surrounding employee engagement in the federal government. While one conversation centers on the world's game and the other on public service, both reveal the same leadership challenge: organizations often rush to solve problems before agreeing on what success actually looks like.

Drawing from his Problem Solving for Leaders course at American University, Russell introduces three habits for navigating complex problems: ask different questions, seek multiple perspectives, and see things as a system. Rather than taking sides, he challenges listeners to consider how competing definitions of success shape the questions we ask, the solutions we pursue, and ultimately the outcomes we achieve.

Whether you're leading a team, shaping public policy, coaching athletes, or simply trying to make better decisions, this episode offers a reminder that the best leaders don't always have the best answers—they ask the questions that help everyone think more clearly.

Because before we can solve a complex problem, we first have to answer a more fundamental question:

What does success look like?

In this episode of Questions Are Greater Than Answers, Dr. Russell Robinson explores the power of storytelling, representation, and voice through the lens of leadership and culture. Grounded in Walter Mosley’s powerful quote — “If you don’t exist in fiction, then you don’t exist in history” — the episode examines how stories shape identity, belonging, and our understanding of who matters in society.

Drawing connections to the Key Undergraduate Leadership Program (KULP) pillars of strategy, agility, connection, and reflection, Dr. Robinson reflects on three iconic fictional characters: Walter Mosley’s Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, James Baldwin’s Sonny from Sonny’s Blues, and Mary Richards from The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Through their stories, he explores themes of visibility, emotional complexity, resilience, empathy, and cultural change.

The episode challenges listeners to think critically about representation in literature, television, leadership, and education — and how storytelling can either reinforce exclusion or expand possibility. Along the way, Dr. Robinson connects fiction to emotional intelligence, employee voice, psychological safety, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

More than a conversation about me

In this episode of Questions Are Greater Than Answers, Dr. Russell Robinson explores the human side of leadership in a rapidly changing workplace shaped by stress, burnout, artificial intelligence, and evolving employee expectations.

Drawing from the 2026 SHRM State of the Workplace report and Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, Dr. Robinson examines what these trends reveal about leadership, organizational culture, emotional intelligence, and wellbeing.

While many conversations about the future of work focus on technology and productivity, this episode shifts the focus back to people. Why are employees increasingly disengaged? Why are managers experiencing higher levels of stress and emotional exhaustion? And what does emotionally intelligent leadership look like in a world where organizations are being asked to adapt faster than ever before?

Using the Key Undergraduate Leadership Program (KULP) pillars of strategy, agility, connection, and reflection as a guiding framework, Dr. Robinson reflects on the growing importance of trust, wellness, psychological safety, and human connection in the workplace. This episode challenges leaders to think beyond efficiency and ask deeper questions about how organizations can create environments where people still feel valued, connected, healthy, and purposeful in the age of AI.

Whether you are a student, manager, educator, HR professional, or organizational leader, this conversation offers a reflective look at the future of leadership — and why the most important leadership skills moving forward may be the most human ones.