Ep.98 The Art of IT Leadership: Strategies for Empowering Teams and Driving Change with Justin Fair, CIO, City of Goodyear & Bradley Pristelski, CIO at CommonSpirit (S.W.)
Featuring Justin Fair, CIO at the City of Goodyear & Bradley Pristelski, CIO at CommonSpirit (Southwest)
Connect w/ Justin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-fair-537772a/
https://twitter.com/FairTime81
Summary
In this episode, we're joined by Justin Fair, CIO of the City of Goodyear, and Bradley Pristelski, CIO at CommonSpirit (S.W.), as they dive into their experiences leading technology initiatives in public sector organizations. From discussing the challenges of managing teams in rapidly growing cities to the importance of creating buy-in and ownership among team members, this conversation offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of public sector technology leadership. Tune in to gain expert perspectives on driving digital transformation and building strong relationships in the public sector.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
2:14 Give ownership to create buy-in
3:55 Justin's journey from healthcare to public government
4:20 Goodyear Top 10 fastest-growing cities
5:07 How has Justin's decade of medical IT experience influenced him as City CIO
5:23 How to engage the city from a public policy, technology, and healthcare multiple set of perspectives when building out a smart city
9:41 How the City CIO and City Manager are collaborating in building out their smart city master plan
12:30 What is Common Spirit focusing on, and how have those points grown their company?
14:52 How to Create Buy-in 1. The Why (mission) 2. The What (goals) 3: The How (implementation)
16:46 How do you get your team to buy into the mission?
20:00 Building Credibility & Relationship
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