In Episode 434 of You've Been Heard, Phil Howard speaks with Tim McCrosson about a career that moved from dot-com era web development into federal IT leadership, policy, cybersecurity, and large-scale operations.

Tim explains how an early leadership correction changed him from a command-and-control project manager into a more sustainable coach and collaborator, while also showing why leaders still need the right style for the moment.

The conversation moves through CIO authority in the federal government, laptop refresh policy, the use-or-lose budget problem, enterprise depot operations, pandemic-era network consolidation, SASE risk reduction, AI in acquisition, and the danger of chasing AI without a clear business case.

Tim's through line is simple: technology can be powerful, but it works best when leaders manage up, manage down, build trust, and keep people at the center.