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?