Clické Start

Why are IT and cybersecurity leaders sometimes left out ofthe executive conversations where their expertise matters most? Gary Kern draws on his community banking experience to explain how CIOs and technology leaders can earn a seat at the table through credibility, stronger peer relationships,and organizational awareness. Discover three practical ways to make technology a trusted business partner rather than just a cost center—and why the seat is earned, not given.

(9 Minutes)

#CIO #ITLeadership #Cybersecurity #Leadership #ClickéStart

Every shop has a "Monday fix," the restart everyone knows by heart. This episode shows how quick fixes quietly become normal, and how the Five Whys can end the problem for good. Mop if you must, but find the leak.

Fix the leak, not just the puddle.

Auditors and examiners will find something. That’s the job. This episode covers why fighting them is the expensive way to handle an audit, and three moves that turn them into partners: find it first, be open and responsive, and treat findings as work with an owner, an action, and a date. Row in the same direction. #Leadership #Technology #ClickeStart #Audit #CIO

“No is a complete sentence”—but effective leadership often requires a little more. Gary Kern explores why saying no is difficult, how saying yes to everything can undermine priorities and security, and how to set boundaries without damaging relationships.

Learn the three-part approach: acknowledge the need, anchor to your commitments, and explain what you can do instead. A practical lesson in leadership, communication, and managing expectations.

#Leadership #Communication #Prioritization #TimeManagement #Management #ClickeStart

“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” That’s how technical debt starts, and why Tuesday never comes. A CIO’s take on the hidden bill in your infrastructure, plus three things you can do this week to make it visible and pay it down. Technical debt isn’t the sin. Ignoring it is.

#Leadership #Technology #ClickeStart

Multitasking feels productive. The research says otherwise. In this episode of Clické Start, I share that I always thought I was good at it but wasn't, why every task switch costs you, and what leaders signal when they're half in the room.

✅ Protect one block for the work that matters

✅ Batch the small stuff

✅ Leave yourself a note before you switch

Multitasking is a myth.

#Leadership #Technology #ClickeStart #Productivity

Everyone thinks their request is THE priority. In Episode 21, I share the filter that actually settles it — tying requests to corporate strategy instead of who asked loudest, and why"not yet, and here’s why" beats silence every time.

✅ Ask "compared to what?" before agreeing something’s urgent

✅ Score requests against strategy, not volume

✅ Set the filter before the fire drill, not during it

✅ Make the queue visible so people see what else is in flight

✅ Say "not yet," and say why

When everything is important, nothing is.

#Leadership #Technology #ClickeStart #Prioritization #ITLeadership

No project managers. No project office. No process. Sound familiar? In Episode 20, I share the simple project process I built for organizations with none, and why slowing down at the start makes everything after it faster.

✅ Create a simple charter before anyone commits

✅ Score size and risk so rigor matches the project

✅ Name a sponsor, a coordinator, and a business owner

✅ Define 'done', scope, and who owns it afterward

✅ Track every project on one page: overall, cost, schedule

✅ Close with lessons learned, then celebrate

Want help using my template or building your own? Message me. I want to help!

Slow down to speed up.

#Leadership #Technology #ClickeStart #ProjectManagement

Assumptions don't announce themselves — they eat away at clarity in silence, until the day the floor gives out. Episode 19 of Clické Start breaks down why the most dangerous assumptions are the ones that feel like facts or common sense, and how a simple verification mindset can catch them before they cost you. 🎧 New episode up now.

Toyota's assembly line has never once been "finished" — on purpose. Episode 18 of Clické Start digs into Kaizen and why "perfect is the enemy of progress." The story: any worker can stop the entire line the moment they spot a defect, because catching a small problem today beats shipping a thousand tomorrow. Not seeking perfection. Always seeking better. 🎧 New episode available now.