Donald Kossmann, Chief Technology Officer at Chargebacks911®, was recently featured on the 40% Better Podcast, where he shared his perspective on leadership, innovation, and building strong organizational cultures. In the episode, Kossmann reflected on his professional journey and the principles that guide his approach to leading teams in a fast-paced technology environment.
The 40% Better Podcast features conversations with thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators from across industries, exploring how they drive improvement and achieve measurable impact. The show aims to inspire listeners with actionable insights on leadership, business strategy, and personal growth.
“The mission we came up with is to do something that kind of secures the future of the company that the product groups cannot do,” Donald said, commenting on his role at Microsoft. “And, if you kind of have that mindset, that gives you a framework, so you evaluate your success [based] on the things that you’ve made happen in the company, that wouldn't have happened if you didn’t exist. And that's actually an interesting uh mission to have.”
Throughout the discussion, Donald offered practical advice for leaders facing challenges such as rapid technological change, scaling teams, and maintaining alignment between strategy and execution. He emphasized the importance of adaptability and continuous learning as central qualities for modern leaders.
“My advice is everybody needs to lead. We’re in the tech industry. We are making decisions and we all need to lead whether you're an individual contributor or not,” Donald added. “Many people get it reversed. They want to be a manager first and then they say, ‘well now I’m a manager, now I get the power to be a leader.’ But that’s the wrong way to think about it, because once you're a manager and now you exercise power, you’ve already lost. That is not the right way to go about being a leader. The art is to be a leader without power and without exercising your power.”
