#216: Purpose-Driven Leadership in Local Government with Craig Hopkins, CIO, City of San Antonio

Episode Highlights

What if the secret to transformational leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room, but being the “humble gardener” who grows others? In this episode, San Antonio CIO Craig Hopkins shares why “we’re not IT professionals, we’re operational leaders,” how small behaviors compound into culture, and what it really means to build teams with purpose. From Team of Teams to One Mission, this episode is packed with practical frameworks — a true masterclass in purpose-driven leadership.

(02:00) From Coast Guard to CIO: Finding Purpose in Service

(04:00) USAA’s 20-Year Leadership Lab: Five Careers, One Company

(08:00) A Costly Lesson at Sea: How Tragedy Shaped Craig’s View of Leadership

(14:00) Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

(16:00) One Mission: How Leaders Unite a Team of Teams

(19:00) Behaviors → Character → Culture: How Small Actions Shape Organizations (for Better or Worse)

(25:00) The Humble Gardener: Why Great CIOs Cultivate People, Not Control Them

Links Mentioned

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal

One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams by Chris Fussell

🔥 Want more from the 2024 Houston Podcast Tour? Check out four binge-worthy episodes you can’t miss.

#208: Texas County Women Leading 6M+ Residents: From Flooded Data Centers to AI Innovation Lab to Building Unbreakable Teams

#205: From Hurricane Harvey to Beryl: Houston's "One Family" Emergency Response

#204: Why Texas DMV Chose $6M in Planning Over $150M (Plus TDLR's 25-Program Modernization)

#203: UHCL's 6-Week Leadership Pivot + AI Student Concierge + NASA Innovation Culture

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#215: CapMetro Built AI So Human Callers Can’t Tell + How Austin Put Data Stewardship Before AI Hype + UTSA’s “Humble, Hungry, Kind” Culture — All With Limited Resources [2025 TAGITM]

Featuring:

Tanya Acevedo, Senior Vice President and CIO, CapMetro

Kendra Ketchum, VP for Information Management & Technology, The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)

Kerrica Laake, Chief Information Officer, City of Austin

Chris Stewart, Chief Technology Officer, Freeit Data Solutions (former CIO, City of Austin)

What You’ll Learn:

How Austin's CIO built career pathways from college intern to executive leadership over 33 years, creating high school Shark Tank programs and veteran transition pipelines that solve the government talent crisis

Why CapMetro's paratransit AI agent sounds so human that special needs riders can't tell the difference—and how it already knows their eligibility and service history before they finish speaking

How a simple homeless services app discovered 40% hidden capacity in existing lockers, helping vulnerable citizens store belongings safely during job interviews instead of hiding them in bushes

UTSA's "hungry, humble, kind" framework that transformed 9 out of 11 frustrated leaders into collaborative innovators using Working Genius assessments and intentional failure policies

Why Tanya's team failed twice on the same project before breakthrough success, and how transparent budget conversations about declining sales tax revenue actually strengthened team creativity and resource optimization

How FreeIT Data partners with resource-constrained counties and cities to deliver the same technology solutions that large organizations require, but with creative collaboration that leverages vendor partnerships when budgets are tight

Timestamps

(03:00) From College Intern to CIO: Kerrica's 33-Year Austin Journey

(05:00) Integrity and Accountability Crisis: Rebuilding Trust in Government IT

(08:00) High School Shark Tank: Building Tomorrow's Government Tech Talent

(11:00) Hungry, Humble, Kind: UTSA's Team Transformation Framework

(16:00) 9 of 11 Leaders Frustrated: Working Genius Assessment Breakthrough

(23:00) Austin's First Technology Conference: Breaking Down 30-Year Silos

(26:00) Data Stewardship Before AI: Why Foundation Matters More Than Hype

(33:00) Breaking "Always Done It This Way": Culture vs. Strategy Battle

(36:00) AI Factory Framework: UTSA's Governance-First Automation Approach

(39:00) AI So Human You Can't Tell: CapMetro's Mind-Blowing Paratransit Agent

(44:00) Resource-Constrained Partners: FreeIT Data's Creative Government Solutions

Listen now: YouTube x Apple x Spotify

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#213: How 3 Texas Women CIOs Orchestrate Change — From TxDOT's 29% Crash-Reducing AI to CapMetro & Austin Breaking Silos [2025 TAGITM Live Podcast Tour]

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Featuring:

Kerrica Laake, Chief Information Officer, City of Austin

Anh Selissen, Chief Information Officer, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)

Tanya Acevedo, Senior Vice President and CIO, CapMetro

Stephanie Weber, Industry Leader, State and Local Government and Higher Ed Appian

What You’ll Learn:

Breaking Silos from the Inside Out — How Kerrica's 33-year climb from city intern to CIO taught her that real transformation starts with asking "why" at every level, and why pairing IT with city executives through Austin's Business Relationship Program rewired decades of entrenched silos.

Triple-Crisis Leadership at TxDOT — How Anh navigated a reorg, COVID, and ransomware attacks while launching crash-predictive AI that spots stranded vehicles before secondary collisions occur — delivering a 29% statewide reduction in secondary crashes across construction zones.

Turning Financial Crisis into Transit Innovation — How Tanya's transparent leadership during a sales tax shortfall inspired cross-training initiatives that birthed $1.75 fully integrated trip planning — allowing CapMetro to directly compete with expensive, unreliable rideshare.

Unified Emergency Response in Action — How Austin's women CIOs orchestrated city, state, and transit agencies in one CTEC center, creating a coordinated crisis response model.

How Appian-Powered Orchestration Connects Human Services End-to-End — Linking housing assistance, food programs, and job services so no resident falls through the cracks.

Why Leading Agencies Choose Process Improvement Over "Efficiency" — How component-driven approaches help departments work smarter with existing systems instead of costly rip-and-replace projects that disrupt operations.

Timestamps

(01:00) 33-Year Orchestration: From City Intern to Silo-Breaking CIO Leadership

(02:00) Breaking Departmental Silos: Business Relationship Program Pairs IT with City Executives

(04:00) Crisis as Catalyst: CapMetro's Transparent Response to Sales Tax Decline

(06:00) Triple Crisis Orchestration: Surviving Reorg + COVID + Ransomware at TxDOT

(13:00) Crash-Reducing AI in Action: 29% Secondary Crash Reduction Through Predictive Analytics

(17:00) Transit Orchestration: $1.75 Multi-Mode Integration That Competes with Uber

(21:00) CTEC Center Model: Orchestrating City, State & Transit for Emergency Response

(24:00) Change Management Strategy: Applying "Weakest Link" Principles Across Organizations

(28:00) AI Orchestration Framework: Ethical Pilot Programs Over Shiny Technology

(32:00) Legacy System Orchestration: Innovation Labs That Modernize While Preserving Function

Connect

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#212: From COBOL to Salesforce: Washington State Liquor Board’s 9-Year, Multi-Million Modernization + Army Leadership Lessons

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Featuring:

George Williams, CIO, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

What You’ll Learn:

How a 42-year-old COBOL system from 1983 finally got retired — and why a 70-year-old contractor stayed on just to see it die

Why George paused the entire project for a year and restructured the whole team — and how that bold move led to a successful go-live after two failed attempts spanning nine years

The critical moment George stopped outsourcing ownership to contractors and put actual agency employees in charge

How battlefield leadership lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan shaped George's approach to managing massive licensing operation

Why “success” nearly broke the system — and how the agency handled 30,000+ phone calls in just three months post-launch

How George built a cross-division data governance team to prevent inaccurate AI answers — and what every CIO should learn from it

Why Salesforce developers are solid gold — and how George is fighting to keep them in the public sector with training budgets and team loyalty

The one job George believes every CIO must do: take the heat round so their team can thrive

Timestamps

(00:35) From Army Combat Vet to Cannabis & Liquor Board CIO

(03:00) Basketball to Military: “Too Slow for Forward, Too Short for Center”

(06:00) Iraq 2004: Getting Blown Up and Building Resilient Teams

(12:00) 9-Year Project Nightmare: Firing Teams and Rebuilding from Scratch

(16:00) 42-Year-Old COBOL System: The 1983 Legacy That Wouldn’t Die

(23:00) 7 Legacy Systems to Salesforce: The Technical Transformation

(26:30) 20,000 Liquor + 1,900 Cannabis Licenses: Managing Complex Customer Operations

(33:00) CIO as Translator: Making Tech Make Sense to Non-Tech Leaders

(38:00) 30,000 Phone Calls Post-Launch: When Success Creates New Problems

(44:00) Leadership Lessons: Taking the Heat and Supporting Your Team

Connect

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#211: South Florida CIO Roundtable: 1,000+ Sensor Network, Centennial Celebration, Miami Beach's AI Agents & More

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Featuring:

Frank Quintana, CIO, City of Miami Beach

Ricardo Castillo, CIO, City of North Miami Beach

Raimundo Rodulfo, CIO, City of Coral Gables

Kyle Patel, VP of Engineering, Polimorphic

What You’ll Learn:

How Miami Beach serves millions of international tourists with 6 AI agents instead of expanding staff in their 7-square-mile destination

Why Coral Gables found a missing child in 2 minutes during a 50,000-person event using computer vision from 1,000+ sensors

The leadership story behind "hand the marker" - how South Florida CIOs transform interns into teachers who build better teams

How Polimorphic's AI pre-screens applications in 30 seconds, catching 90% of errors before staff review (25 languages expanding to 70)

Why North Miami Beach turned a 6-year permitting system failure into breakthrough collaboration across 14 departments

The governance strategy that blocks shadow AI while enabling department self-service: Miami-Dade College education + centralized licensing + technology controls

Timestamps

(03:00) 7 Square Miles, Millions of Tourists: Miami Beach's AI-First Customer Service Strategy

(08:00) 1,000+ Sensors to 2-Minute Rescue: Coral Gables' Smart City Emergency Response Evolution

(16:00) 30-Second Application Pre-Review: Polimorphic's AI Catches 90% of Errors before staff review (25 languages expanding to 70)

(22:00) Shadow AI Governance: Miami-Dade College Education + Centralized Licensing Strategy

(30:00) 6-Year Permitting Failure Becomes Collaboration: Breaking Down North Miami Beach's 14-Department Silos

(34:00) Hand the Marker Leadership: How Interns Become Teachers Who Build Better Teams

(42:00) Human Capital as Competitive Advantage: Coral Gables' Private Sector Mindset in Government

(47:00) 25 Languages to 70: Polimorphic's Multilingual Government Access Transformation

(50:00) The Next Decade CIO: From Keep-the-Lights-On to Strategic Problem-Solving Partner

Connect

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#210: Maricopa County's AI Teams Save 100s of Hours (Plus AZ's Child Safety 30-Year Data Strategy & Building AI for Service-First Gov.)

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Featuring:

Aaron Judy, Chief of Innovation and Emerging Technologies, Maricopa County

Steven Hintze, Chief Data and Product Officer, Arizona Department of Child Safety

Kyle Patel, Lead Product and Engineering, Polimorphic

What You’ll Learn:

How to build working AI prototypes in 10 minutes that impress stakeholders and scale to production (like Maricopa County's animal contact tracing system)

Why 30 years of unstructured government data delivers better AI results than traditional structured approaches—and how to leverage it

The proven framework that helped one county identify 100+ AI use cases across 55+ agencies and avoid the "SQL query disguised as AI" trap

How AI can recover 100s of hours worth of staff time by eliminating repetitive tasks while improving citizen experience

The composable architecture strategy that lets you completely rebuild your AI stack within 30 days of production release without losing momentum

Timestamps

(06:00) Why 30 Years of Unstructured Data Beats Clean Databases

(10:00) Beyond Press 1 Press 2: True AI Automation vs. Labor Shifting

(13:00) The 10-Minute Prototype That Impressed Animal Care Directors

(18:00) What Vendors Get Wrong: Extracting vs. Creating Value for Government

(22:00) AI as Therapy: Validating Difficult Caseworker Decisions

(30:00) The Mom Test in Government: Solving Real vs. Requested Problems

(34:00) Innovation Roadshows: Getting 55 Agencies to Embrace Emerging Tech

(37:00) Future Vision: Decentralized Identity and 24/7 Government

(42:00) Amazon-Level Service: Building Public Trust Through Better Technology

(47:00) Failing Fast with Grace: Building Psychological Safety for Innovation

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#209: Teena Piccione, J.R. Sloan, Mark Wittenberg, Jonathan Feldman & Joe Durante [Better Together Series]

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Teena Piccione, Secretary and State CIO, North Carolina

J.R. Sloan, State CIO, Arizona

Mark Wittenburg, CIO, City of Raleigh

Jonathan Feldman, CIO, Wake County

Joe Durante, Chief Technology and Innovation Strategist, Dell Technologies

What You’ll Learn:

How North Carolina's State CIO (from Google, AT&T, Fidelity, and more!) attracted world-class talent by selling the "most insane job" with the biggest data set and playground they'd ever see

Why shifting from "customers" to "colleagues and partners" eliminated IT roadblocks and built trust with departments like public safety

How to slash state procurement timelines from 9+ months to 45 days using proactive vendor negotiations and continuous pipeline management that saves agencies money to spend elsewhere

Arizona's AI governance framework that approved 15+ use cases saving employees 2.5 hours per week while protecting data through questionnaires and sandbox environments across 130+ agencies

Why city councils care more about AI's environmental impact than security risks, and how CIOs are building sustainability requirements into procurement policies

Timestamps

(01:00) Meet the Powerhouse Pod: State CIOs from NC & AZ + City & County Leaders + Dell

(06:00) The "Most Insane Job" Pitch: How to Recruit World-Class Talent

(11:00) Building Your Network Before You Need It: Relationship-Based Recruiting

(15:00) Screening for Heart: Finding Candidates Who Care About Mission Over Money

(19:00) Language That Transforms: From "Customers" to "Colleagues and Partners"

(22:00) Procurement Revolution: Slashing 9-Month Timelines to 45 Days

(26:00) Arizona's GenAI Use Cases: 15+ Approved Use Cases Saving 2.5 Hours Per Week

(33:00) AI in Action: Predictive Policing and Real-Time Crime Centers

(36:00) Surprising City Council Reaction: Environmental Impact Over Security Fears

(40:00) Legacy Modernization Strategy: Leading with Pain Points and Value

(46:00) Leadership Philosophy: The Power of Leading to Give vs. Get

(50:00) Building Teams That Last: Developing People Before Processes

(53:00) True Collaboration: Staying Curious, Connected, and Innovative

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: The narrative-driven series bringing together industry partners and public sector CXOs. Discover the compelling stories that unfold when we stop working in silos and start building together. Email me at [email protected]

#208: Texas County Women Leading 6M+ Residents: From Flooded Data Centers to AI Innovation Lab to Building Unbreakable Teams [2024 Houston Live Podcast Tour]

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Sindhu Menon, CIO & Executive Director of Universal Services, Harris County

Robyn Doughtie, CIO, Fort Bend County

Misty Witmer, CIO, Galveston County

Mani Nagothu, Field CISO, SentinelOne

What You’ll Learn:

How Harris County's innovation lab is testing AI and emerging technologies while building nimble, resident-centric, and resilient operations

Why Fort Bend County successfully processed 30,000 ServiceNow tickets while reducing active projects from 200 to 86 through strategic prioritization

Galveston County's approach to coastal resilience, including data center failover systems and business continuity planning for hurricane seasons

The strategic evolution of cybersecurity leadership from technical expertise to enterprise risk management integration

How county CIOs are building the next generation through customer experience academies, with one leader surprising her team with new leadership training objectives

Timestamps

(01:00) Meet the Texas County Women: 6M+ Residents Served

(03:00) Building Nimble, Resident-Centric Organizations During Transformation

(07:00) Strategic Leadership Team Development: CTO, Justice Technology Leaders

(09:00) From Pennsylvania to Texas Coast: Modernization in Hurricane Territory

(12:00) ServiceNow and Workday Implementation: Balancing Resources and Priorities

(14:00) Data Center Flooding Lessons: "Basements in Houston Area, Not a Good Idea"

(17:00) Emergency Preparedness: Raleigh vs Houston Regional Differences

(20:00) Coastal Resilience: Building Continuity Systems That Never Go Offline

(26:00) Digital Equity and Broadband: Beyond Infrastructure to Digital Literacy

(30:00) Court System Modernization: Business Intelligence Transforming Resident Services

(36:00) Lifting Teams Up: Leadership Development and Internal Promotion Strategies

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

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Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

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2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#207: Bringing Soldiers Home to Building the Digital Identity with Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me

Brought to you by:

SentinelOne—Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.

Verizon Frontline—The advanced network that keeps first responders connected when it matters most.

Carahsoft—The Trusted Public Sector IT Solutions Provider™, supports government agencies and education/healthcare markets. Contact your Carahsoft rep today to access special discount pricing exclusively through the TechTables + Carahsoft partnership!

Featuring:

Blake Hall, Founder & CEO, ID.me

What You’ll Learn:

How Blake's grandfather earned a Bronze Star with Valor at Anzio and established three leadership rules that shaped three generations of soldiers

Why Roy, an Iraqi interpreter, became a life-changing mission that demonstrated the true meaning of bringing everyone home

How ID.me is building the identity layer for the internet with a digital wallet that puts consumers in control of their data

The four immutable character traits Blake screens for: optimism, kindness over niceness, fight-or-flight control, and zero tolerance for jerks

Strategic fundraising lessons from raising over $100 million while maintaining company control and avoiding liquidation preference traps

Timestamps

(01:00) Military Heritage: Three Generations of Soldiers from WWII to Iraq

(02:00) Grandfather's Bronze Star: Saving His Unit at Anzio Against Nazi Machine Guns

(04:00) The Three Family Rules: Humility, Hard Assignments, and Leadership Lessons

(05:00) Roy's Story: Meeting the Iraqi Interpreter Who Looked Like a "Water Boy"

(07:00) Combat Reality: 19 of 22 Interpreters Executed Over 24 Months

(08:00) The Promise: "I'm Going to Bring All My Guys Home"

(13:00) Combat to Civilian: "Where Do I Go on Friday to Hang Out?"

(14:00) ID.me's Mission: Building the Identity Layer for the Internet

(15:00) Digital Wallets Beyond Payments: Privacy Filters and Never Do Same Thing Twice

(21:00) Core Value #1: "Don't Be a Jerk" - Zero Tolerance Policy

(22:00) Core Value #2: "Kind vs. Nice" - Truth-Telling Over People-Pleasing

(23:00) Core Value #3: "No Pessimists" - The Apollo 13 Mindset

(25:00) Hiring Strategy: Screening for Immutable Character Traits First

(27:00) Duke Basketball Example: Coach K's "We're Gonna Win" Leadership

(31:00) Fundraising Timing: Running Experiments Before Raising Capital

(34:00) Paul Graham's Wisdom: "Love from Few vs. Lukewarm from Many"

(36:00) Founding Team Dynamics: Complementary Skills and Vesting Agreements

(39:00) Strategic Investors: USAA Partnership Without Control Strings

(40:00) Crossover Funds: Viking Global's $100M+ Rounds Without Board Control

(42:00) The Four Business Questions: Size, Frequency, Price, and Moats

(45:00) Book Recommendations: Military Leadership to Tech Innovation

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

📽️ Subscribe here: ‪ https://www.youtube.com/@techtables

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]

#206: Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown - Navy SEAL to Extreme Ownership

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Featuring:

JP Dinnell, former U.S. Navy SEAL, Leadership Instructor, Speaker, and Strategic Advisor, Echelon Front

What You’ll Learn:

How JP went from being served divorce papers on his anniversary to rebuilding his marriage using extreme ownership principles

Why Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War by putting team first

The dangerous transition trap that destroys military veterans (and how to avoid it by establishing a clear new mission)

JP's daily "war against complacency" strategy that protects your marriage, business, and health from gradual decay

The 3 pillars of elite mastery that took JP from Delta Platoon sniper to Echelon Front leadership instructor

Timestamps

(03:12) JP's SEAL Team Background and Combat Experience

(07:55) The Dark Transition: When Everything Falls Apart

(11:00) Driving Ownership: Lessons from Ramadi Combat Operations

(17:00) Extreme Ownership: The Path Out of Dark Places

(22:00) Entrepreneurship as the Ultimate Reality Check

(25:00) Declaring War on Complacency Every Single Day

(31:00) Humility: The #1 Trait of Combat-Effective Leaders

(38:00) Three Pillars of Elite Mastery: Discipline, Patience, Dedication

(42:00) Echelon Front's FTX: Real-Time Leadership Under Pressure

Connect

🤝 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/

🐦 Connect on Twitter: https://x.com/thejoetoste

🏛️ Follow on LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/techtables/

📽️ Subscribe here: ‪ https://www.youtube.com/@techtables

Whenever you’re ready, there are 3 ways you can connect with TechTables:

1. 📬 The TechTables Newsletter: Join our thriving community of senior technology leaders by subscribing to the TechTables Newsletter. Gain early access to the latest episodes, industry insights, and exclusive event updates.

Join now: https://www.techtables.com/

2. 🤝 The Collaboratory: The Exclusive Peer Network for Senior Technology Leaders in Public Sector, nationwide. The Collaboratory is a 100% Public Sector, Vendor-Free Private Community where you can connect, share strategies, and drive innovation alongside peers through monthly virtual meetings and our annual national event.

CXOs Only Join Now: The Collaboratory: https://www.techtables.com/collaboratory

3. 🤝 The Better Together Series: a virtual podcast series where TechTables partners with leading CXOs and vendor partners for candid conversations that showcase real-world solutions, spark innovation, and drive industry action. Email me at [email protected]