A Message from Dr. Gary F. Russell - There is a formula to Winning

Everyone can see and recognize exceptional performance, whether it be in sport, the arts, or in the business world. But we all have trouble understanding, selecting and, most importantly, reproducing it. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympics, I worked with Team Great Britain on this very issue. Team GB’s Performance Director and I gathered together people who were considered elite athletes, the best of the best. Our hypothesis: Most profiling instruments are linear, using the results of one test, and can therefore only draw linear, one-dimensional findings from participants. With that in mind, we attempted instead to create a three-dimensional view of human behavior, by measuring three key components: THINKING, FEELING and ACTING.

1) Thinking: how we process the world and how we make decisions and choices

2) Feeling: how we attach ourselves to the world and develop our Emotional Intelligence

3) ACTING: how we behave in the world and how we handle pressure

We profiled the athletes, and the clustering of data, the correlation and interplay among these three components, yielded very specific and shared results among the participants. We could see how these elite athletes were put together, the common traits that made them great, right before our very eyes.

But that was just the beginning. Specific talent themes were then found from sport to sport, getting as granular as the differences between short and long distant cyclists. Now, it may seem obvious that even those two disciplines require their own specific approaches and mindsets, but at the time, no one was creating performance plans to reflect those differences. We did, and Team Great Britain had the most successful Olympic performance in their history, winning 67 medals, including 29 Gold, which constituted a 50% jump from 2008.

I then worked with a young golfer who was widely believed to be the next phenom in the sport. Physically,, she was very talented, but simply wasn’t performing on the elite stage. Profiling her revealed that she did indeed have what it takes. However, some of the ingredients, in particular her desire to compete, weren’t in the right place. I worked with her directly, but also built a team around her, teaching them how to coach to her strengths in a way she would most efficiently understand. After 6 months of coaching her, she was Rookie of the Year in Europe. After another 6 months she was the #1 golfer on the Ladies European Tour. We now had the beginnings of how to identify and coach people to Win.

We continued to expand, working with teams, front offices and star athletes from some of the world’s largest sports leagues. We also moved into the corporate world, working with large financial and retail institutions, affecting engagement scores and P&L statements, reducing retail shrink and employee turnover. And the more we expanded, the more the pattern re-asserted itself: there is a formula to winning. There is a base, foundational indicator of excellence, on which a unique culture is created. Both of these layers need to be recognized and encouraged in order to be successful.

It’s a simple and ever-adapting process. For me, every new person and company I come in contact with is an exciting investigation into a new culture: how can I make this culture flourish? How can I help the people within it align themselves to create the best possible working environment? Ultimately, how can I get you and your organization to Win? I’m excited to discuss more with you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Gary F. Russell

If you have questions or want to learn more, do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to speaking with you!

gary.russell@winningprofile.com

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If you have questions or want to learn more, do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to speaking with you!

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FOUNDer / Chief Talent Strategist

Dr. Gary F. Russell

Gary has been married to his beautiful wife and partner for over 40 years and has four children and 8 grandchildren who really represent his greatest personal accomplishments. He holds BA in Sociology from Kutztown State University,. Masters in Counseling from Duquesne University and his Doctorate in Cognitive Psychology from California University. He has been studying human behavior his entire life, He has been creating programs for millions of children and adults with the NFL, MLS, England’s Football Association, Jack Nicklaus (Golden Bear) and Boys Scouts USA.

After years of research, trial and error and working with world-class athletes and executives from billion dollar corporations, Gary’s teaching and coaching background has led him to creation of Winning Profile, a process to accurately measure talent, discover its origins, and determine how to replicate it. In other words, a way to see the best in people and to put them in a position to be their best. 

His life has been devoted to living and helping others live the company’s mission “To reach beyond their own vision of capability” . This is Gary’s definition of WINNING. As he says: ‘I might not be able to pick who is going to win, but I can tell you who wants to.’

GARY’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Dynamic
Persuasive
Positive
Interactive
Synergetic

director of Research & development

Neil Castle

Neil has worked alongside Dr. Gary Russell in various capacities for over 25 years both in the US and from his home in the UK. Former Senior Vice President of Human Capital Management at NASC Inc, Neil is Gary’s Senior Analyst and has been fundamental in the creation and development of Winning Profile from its conception. His portfolio of clients range from across both the sporting and corporate sectors, including numerous world champions, world record holders and Olympic Gold medalists to global leaders of international organizations.

Away from Winning Profile Neil is a Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University (UK) where he teaches on numerous physical education and sport and exercise science courses. He co-authored his first book last year and is frequently invited to deliver workshops and keynote presentations, most recently at the World Physical Education Conference and the prestigious UEFA Pro License Certification Course. Neil lives on the south east coast of England with his wife Helen and sons Samuel and Benjamin.

His academic background is from

NEIL’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Dynamic
Engaging
Hardworking
Practical
Active

Director of Client Experience

Chris Paul Russell

Chris has been working with Gary for the past three decades. He shares his dad’s passion for finding excellence and talent in everyone he meets, and finds any opportunity he can to explore what makes us tick. This factors into all aspects of Chris’ life, as he is, alongside his work with Winning Profile, an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter. He lives in Los Angeles, where there is no shortage of strange and uniquely talented people. Chris has a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) from Emerson College in Boston.

CHRIS’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Determined
Confident
Courageous
Focused
Goal-Oriented

Manager of Online Technology

Todd Crawford

Todd is the founder of Crawford Designs. He and his team feel most excited and fulfilled when developing truly useful systems for their clients. When he is not busy with his full-time job, Todd also runs a not-for-profit foundation which he started in 2006. Through various fundraisers, he and his team have been able to raise over $135,000 for spinal cord injury research. Some of this money has allowed newly injured children and their families from around the world to engage in this research by helping with travel and living expenses to facilitate their involvement. They also offer grants to medical and doctoral students recently entering this research field. Todd has an extensive educational background. He has earned a BS in Biology from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from the University of Louisville.

TODD’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Tactical
Independent
Cautious
Inquisitive
Insightful

Board member

John Lucot

John came to know Winning Profile originally as a client, but soon became a big advocate and ultimately a board member and advisor. John spent the bulk of his life of his career at Giant Eagle, Inc. a large regional grocery store chain with approximately 500 stores across 5 states, ultimately serving as President and Chief Operating Officer through 2016. John led Giant Eagle’s geographic expansion into Ohio and Maryland and also creating new store concepts including Market District, GetGO and Value king.

John remains active in the retail industry as an investor and director of several companies, as well as serving as a director of the food marketing institute. He hols a BS degree from Duquesne University and a MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

JOHN’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Tactical
Independent
Wise
Thoughtful
Diligent

Board member

Joe Kennedy

Currently, Joe manages a regional HR consulting business supporting small and mid-size clients with performance management, health and retirement benefits, compensation and staffing. toFor nearly two decades, Joe led multi-million dollar consulting offices for two international consulting firms. In addition, to office leadership, Joe was a key member of teams consulting globally on competenecies , performance management, compensation benefits, HR organization design, and benefits administration.

Prior to consulting, Joe worked for 20+ years, in a Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 firms in senior HR management. Joe also taught TQM to MBA students for three years. Joe’s academic background is from CarnegieMellon where he earned an MBA, a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations from West Virginia University and a BS from the University of Pittsburgh.

JOE’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Determined
Forthright
Decisive
Focused
Goal-Oriented

Lead Psychometrician

Alina Oshyna

Alina is the founder of PsyLab, a bespoke assessment development firm with a flagship assessment of resilience, which uses the principles of activity theory and models stress to observe actual behavior. As an Israeli-Ukrainian psychometrician, she has made significant contributions to renowned companies like EPAM and Moody's Analytics, as well as Silicon Valley startups such as Gyfted. Her expertise extends to working on assessments used by the IDF and other Israeli government agencies. With nearly 15 years of dedication to the assessment industry, she is likely one of the most knowledgeable professionals on commercial assessments available in the market.

ALINA’S PERFORMANCE DRIVERS

Unwavering
Forthright
Decisive
Focused
Goal-Oriented