About Russ Linden

Russ Linden is a leadership educator and author who specializes in organizational change methods. He’s been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia and at the Federal Executive Institute for over 35 years. In 2003 he was the Williams Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the State University of New York (Fredonia) School of Business. His current teaching and consulting interests include leadership lessons from the Torah, collaboration, the human side of change, strategic thinking and acting, developing an agile and resilient culture, and crisis leadership. 

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He has published numerous articles and six books. His book Seamless Government: A Practical Guide to Re-engineering in the Public Sector (Jossey-Bass, 1994), is considered the primary source on that topic by many. Working Across Boundaries is now in its 10th printing. It was a finalist for the best book on nonprofit management in 2002 (awarded by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management). His latest book, Loss and Discovery: What the Torah Can Teach Us about Leading Change, was published in September, 2021.

Seamless Government Wrokbook for Seamless Government Working Across Boundaries Leading Across Boundaries Loss & Discovery

Russ’ clients have included the National Geographic Society, U.S. Government Departments of State, Treasury, HHS, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Education. He’s worked with several criminal justice, military, health care, intelligence and natural resource agencies. He’s consulted with private sector firms, a governor, a state attorney general, a number of state and local government agencies and elected officials. Russ also consults with several U.S. and Israeli NGOs.

Previously Russ was a Senior Faculty Member at the Federal Executive Institute. He directed executive programs at the University of Virginia’s Center for Public Service, taught at UVa’s McIntire School of Commerce, and managed human services programs.

His volunteer commitments include leadership of an organization that works to make Charlottesville open and welcoming to all, and scholarship programs that help low-income youth afford college. His bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from the University of Michigan. His Ph.D. is from the University of Virginia. He and his wife have two adult children, and live in Charlottesville, VA.

"Every leader knows that change is constant, and Linden charts pathways to engage change holistically by weaving the best of leadership research with insightful contemporary examples.”
Rev. Dr. David Forney
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville, Virginia, former editor of the Journal of Religious Leadership
"Loss and Discovery is a masterpiece and should be required reading for anyone working in management or endeavoring to create any type of meaningful and lasting change during trying times where a paradigm shift is needed."
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
President and dean, Valley Beit Midrash, author of 21 books on Jewish ethics