Meet David

David Russell didn't set out to build a hiring system.

He built one after experiencing what many leaders eventually face, a hiring decision that costs far more than expected.

In his case, a single leadership hire led to more than $1.5 million in losses. But the financial impact wasn’t the most difficult part.

The wrong person in a critical role strained client relationships, disrupted team morale, and pulled leadership time away from growth and into damage control. Ultimately, the company didn’t survive.

Through that experience, David came to an uncomfortable realization.

The failure wasn’t primarily the hire’s fault.

It was his.

He had made the decision to bring the person in. He had worked with him. And he had retained him, even after concerns surfaced during the very first week.

That experience led to a question that would shape the next two decades of his work:

Why are leaders expected to hire well when no one ever teaches them how?

What followed was a 20+ year journey studying how elite organizations consistently identify and select top performers.

David examined how professional sports teams build winning rosters, how high-performing executive teams select leaders, and how structured development separates consistent performers from those stuck in cycles of trial and error.

What he discovered was both surprising and empowering.

Better hiring doesn’t come from better job ads, more interviews, or higher compensation.

It comes from replacing instinct and guesswork with coached decision-making grounded in real-world evaluation.

Today, David is the founder of Manage 2 Win and the creator of the Hire the Best system. He has coached leaders and partners from organizations including Microsoft, Cisco, SYNNEX, and Tech Data, as well as thousands of growing companies across a wide range of industries.

Yet his focus remains personal.

Rather than teaching theory from a distance, David works directly with leaders on their actual hiring decisions, helping them navigate real interviews with real candidates until hiring becomes a leadership strength rather than a recurring risk.

He believes hiring is one of the most influential decisions a leader makes not just for business outcomes, but for the people and families affected by those decisions.

When leaders hire well and manage well, companies grow, teams thrive, and lives improve.

Today, David’s work is shaped by a simple belief: hiring decisions affect far more than a job description or an org chart.

▣  They shape someone’s experience at work.
▣  They influence the health of a team.
▣  They impact the direction of a business.

Helping leaders make those decisions with greater clarity and confidence isn’t just about improving performance.

It’s about creating workplaces where people and the work they care about have the chance to thrive.

Ready to Learn More?

Every hiring decision you make impacts your team, your bottom line, and your company's future.

Want to see if hiring coaching is right for your organization?

Discuss your current hiring challenges, review your team's capabilities, and consider how coaching could help with no pressure and no sales pitch.

Or explore more:

▣  Our Hiring System - Consider our 7-stage framework.

▣  Client Testimonials - Hear from leaders we've coached..

▣  Resources - Free guides, sample documents, and podcasts