IT Recognition & Leadership

 A post showed up in my LinkedIn feed recently that stopped me in my tracks. It got me thinking about the health and well-being of IT teams, and more specifically, the people I lead.

I have spent 30 years in IT here in Silicon Valley. In that time, one thing has remained stubbornly consistent: IT teams are taken for granted. We are the glue holding complex processes together, and most of the time, nobody notices until something breaks.

I rose through the ranks the hard way. Front-line support, increasing responsibility, and eventually leading the very teams I once was a part of. That experience gave me something invaluable: a deep appreciation for what these people go through every single day.

Here is what I believe without reservation. The head of any IT department has one non-negotiable responsibility above all others: protect your people. That means managing their workload, shielding them from unnecessary chaos, and creating conditions where they can actually do their best work without burning out.

At my previous company, where I spent 13 years and built what I genuinely consider a world-class support organization, the executives largely took IT for granted. The old saying, "if it is working, we are doing our jobs," sounds harmless enough, but it erases all the effort, planning, and late nights that make continuity of service possible. Recognition rarely came from within.

The moment that sticks with me most happened at a sales kickoff meeting around 2014. A guest speaker from VMware stood in front of 150 people and asked one simple question: Have you thanked your IT team today? It took someone from outside the company to start a conversation that should have been happening all along. The SVP of Sales asked me to stand and be recognized. It felt good, but it also felt like it should not have required a guest speaker to make it happen.

Recognizing people for good work should not need a catalyst. It should be instinctive.

But this is not really about IT getting a moment in the spotlight. It is about something bigger. Every experience I have had, every leader who invested in me, every difficult situation I navigated, helped shape the way I lead today. I did not get into technology for applause. I got into it because I genuinely love what it makes possible for people.

Burnout is real. It is quiet, it is cumulative, and by the time you see it, you are often too late. Flexibility and empathy are not soft skills. They are the foundation of a functional, sustainable team. Nobody on my team should ever feel overlooked or worn down without someone in their corner.

That is the standard I hold myself to. Every day.

Real Leadership comes from Empathy

 Here's the rewrite:

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Real Leadership Comes from Empathy

I came across an article in INC. magazine today that I could not stop thinking about. It focused on a CEO who summed up his company's remote work decision in ten words. Those ten words say everything about what emotionally intelligent leadership looks like in practice.

Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, surveyed his employees about where they wanted to work. The results came back: 7% wanted to be in the office full time, 31% preferred a hybrid arrangement, and 62% wanted to work fully from home. His response? "Sounds great. Do whatever you want. If you get your work done, that's all that matters."

That is it. No committee. No policy debate. No performative flexibility theater. Just a leader who listened and got out of the way.

This is consistent with who Dan Price has always been. In 2015, he restructured his entire company's compensation model and set a minimum salary of $70,000 for every employee. He ran the numbers, believed in his people, and made the call. It was not about optics. It was about genuinely understanding what his staff needed to live well and do good work.

COVID changed the rules for everyone, whether companies were ready or not. The organizations that responded with empathy and adaptability kept their people. Those that clung to rigid, outdated expectations found themselves on the wrong end of the Great Resignation, watching talented employees walk out the door in search of workplaces that actually respected their lives outside of work.

So what is emotional intelligence, and why does it matter so much right now?

The dictionary defines it as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships with good judgment and empathy. That definition sounds clinical, but the reality is deeply personal.

Think about what the past few years looked like for most families. College students and high schoolers doing classwork from their bedrooms. Parents managing their kids' education while keeping up with their own jobs. Households with four or five people all competing for bandwidth at the same time. My own family was no exception. My wife and I were grocery shopping for her parents and dropping food at their garage, kept at a distance while they disinfected everything we touched. That was our routine for months.

Now multiply that by every single person on your team. Each of them was carrying their own version of that story. As a leader, you are not just managing deliverables. You are managing people who are managing entire lives at the same time. That reality has to be part of how you lead.

Will Rogers once said he never met a man he did not like. When his life was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1991, his character described a practice rooted in his Native American heritage: walking around to the other side of a person to see what they were seeing. To understand what drives someone, what worries them, what they are working toward. That is empathy in its most practical form, and it is how I try to approach every conversation with my team.

When I work with someone, I always come back to three questions:

• What has their experience been?
• What motivates them?
• How can I help them reach their personal and professional goals?

A leader who asks those questions, and actually listens to the answers, builds something different than a leader who just manages tasks.

The INC. article also included a list of leadership practices worth keeping visible:

Show genuine personal interest in your people. Communicate expectations clearly and early. Set reasonable norms around response times for messages and email. Check in regularly, not to monitor, but to support. Coach rather than micromanage. Give people room to take smart risks and explore ideas. Treat mistakes as learning, not failure. Recognize good work loudly and often. When things go sideways, give feedback that helps rather than harms.

I would add one more. Invest in your people's future, not just their current role. The best thing you can do for your team is make sure they are growing, that they have the skills to do their jobs not just today but in the environment that is coming. Workplaces are changing fast. A good leader makes sure their people are ready for what is next.

High emotional intelligence, paired with strong communication and a genuine commitment to your team's growth, is what separates managers from leaders. It is also what keeps good people from leaving.

What is your EQ?

Company Respect and ME: Black Helmet Apparel

Update: Black Helmet Apparel has since gone out of business. I will leave it at that.

Update 2: Black Helmet is back (2025) and they seem to be back to basics

Women and Technology: A Lesson from Blizzard's Failure

 Here's #4:

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Women and Technology: A Lesson from Blizzard's Failure

I am sad and angry about what continues to come out of the Blizzard/Activision campus. The reports describe years of extreme toxicity, sexual harassment, and outright assault, all protected and perpetuated by a culture that should never have been allowed to take root in the first place.

Let me say that plainly, because it deserves to be said without softening: this was not a rough workplace. This was a sustained, predatory environment that destroyed careers and harmed real people.

I have been a Blizzard supporter since Warcraft 2. I subscribed to World of Warcraft from its launch, with only a brief break in 2005. I attended BlizzCon four times in person and several more times virtually. At one point, working there was genuinely my dream job. I believed in what they built.

Blizzard was at the top of the gaming world for a long time. Then the wheels started coming off. The Activision merger in 2008 began a slow cultural shift. Chris Metzen's departure in 2016 was followed by a broader leadership exodus in 2018. What came after was not a surprise to the people inside, even if it shocked those of us watching from outside.

The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing described the workplace culture as a "pervasive frat boy" environment. That phrase is almost too mild for what the reports actually describe.

Here is what troubles me most beyond the harm done to the victims: the technology industry already struggles deeply to attract and retain women. The pipeline problem is real, the systemic barriers are real, and stories like this make every bit of progress harder to achieve. When news breaks that one of the most celebrated companies in tech fostered this kind of environment for years, why would any woman look at this industry and think she would be safe, valued, or respected?

I have seen what a genuinely inclusive team looks like. At one point in my career, my IT department was split evenly between men and women. It was one of the best teams I have ever led. Not despite that balance, but in part because of it. Different perspectives, different problem-solving approaches, and a culture where everyone felt they belonged made us better at everything we did.

The best manager I ever had was a woman. She gave me an opportunity I might not have gotten elsewhere, genuinely invested in who I was becoming, and mentored me for four years. I would not be the leader I am today without her influence.

I was bullied in high school. I have been treated poorly at jobs. Those experiences did not harden me into someone who passes that treatment along. They made me determined to make sure nobody on my team ever has to feel that way. Every person, regardless of their background, identity, or sex, deserves every opportunity to succeed and a workplace where they feel genuinely safe.

Toxic culture does not survive because of one bad actor. It survives because people around it stay quiet. That ends when leaders decide it ends.

I cancelled my 16-year World of Warcraft subscription until Blizzard addresses the lawsuit and makes real, meaningful changes. Not symbolic ones. Real ones.

We can do better. We have to.

Lessons from the Solarwinds Orion Cyber Attack

 On December 13, 2020, SolarWinds CEO Kevin B. Thompson notified customers of a highly sophisticated supply-chain attack affecting Orion Platform software builds from versions 2019.4 through 2020.2.1.

The details were still emerging, but the attack appeared to involve malicious code inserted into software updates distributed to SolarWinds customers. Approximately 18,000 organizations may have installed the affected versions. The incident came to light shortly after cybersecurity firm FireEye disclosed that it had experienced a breach involving the theft of internal security tools.

This was a sobering moment for the cybersecurity community. The scope of the compromise extended beyond private companies, potentially affecting Fortune 500 organizations and government agencies, including entities responsible for national cybersecurity.

Why this attack matters

Most security conversations focus on attacks that come from outside an organization - such as denial-of-service attacks or penetration attempts - or attacks that exploit people and systems from within, such as phishing, ransomware, or malware.

The SolarWinds incident exposed a different and especially concerning risk: the compromise of a trusted software-development and delivery process. By inserting malicious code into legitimate software updates, attackers were able to take advantage of the trust customers placed in a widely used vendor.

The incident underscores an important reality: every organization may have vulnerabilities within its software development lifecycle. Even well-established processes can be compromised if appropriate safeguards, reviews, and monitoring are not in place.

For years, organizations have invested heavily in perimeter protection, intrusion detection and prevention, endpoint security, and network monitoring. Those controls remain essential. But this attack demonstrated that the software development process itself must also be treated as a critical security boundary.

The long-term impact will likely include stronger tools, more rigorous standards, and updated regulations designed to improve software supply-chain security.

What can be done?

Improve communication and information sharing

Effective response depends on timely, useful communication among companies, government agencies, and security professionals. Privacy and data-protection laws remain important, but organizations also need practical ways to share threat intelligence quickly and responsibly.

In a cybersecurity incident, early access to relevant information can help organizations contain an attack before it spreads. Coordination across agencies and industries is especially important when responding to threats with broad public and economic consequences.

Strengthen quality control and code review

Although the full technical details were still under investigation, the incident made clear that malicious code had entered the SolarWinds software delivery process. That should prompt every organization to review how code is developed, approved, tested, built, and released.

Agile development and automation can improve speed and consistency, but they do not eliminate the need for strong controls. Organizations should consider:

• Independent code reviews and approval processes
• Automated integrity checks between releases
• Monitoring for unexpected code changes or behaviors
• Secure, isolated test environments
• Comprehensive audit logs for development and release activities
• Regular reviews of third-party and open-source dependencies

Automation can help identify meaningful differences between code versions and flag suspicious changes for human review. It should support - not replace - clear accountability and sound engineering judgment.

Act now

Organizations should assess their current exposure and avoid assuming that any process is inherently secure. Review systems across the business, from software development and vendor management to finance and operational workflows.

A mature cybersecurity program may identify risks before they become incidents, but no single team or tool can protect everything. Security must be a shared responsibility across IT, engineering, leadership, legal, operations, and other business functions.

Breaking down departmental silos and examining the software development lifecycle honestly - even its weaknesses - is essential. Technology and standards will continue to improve, but organizations also need disciplined processes, open communication, and collective accountability to reduce the likelihood and impact of future attacks.

COVID and the Great Re-Negotiation Strategy

 

The Great Three Four?

There are moments in life that change us. They give us a new perspective and divide life into a clear before and after. I have lived through several of those moments, and I think of them as “The Great Three.”

The first was getting married. My spouse and I went on our first date in 1991, and my life has never been the same. She is my best friend, my biggest supporter, and a constant source of joy. Sharing life with her has been good for my soul.

The second was becoming a parent. I used to think of it as the birth of my first child, but each of my three children has changed my life in a different and important way. The line between life before children and life after children is unmistakable. I understood that parents love their children, but I did not fully understand the depth of that bond until my son was born.

The third was losing a parent. I lost my father 16 years ago this December. Not a day goes by that I do not think about him in some way. Losing a parent is painful, but it is also one of those moments that changes how you see life. I am grateful that I still have my mother and my in laws.

What about COVID-19?

So what does this have to do with COVID-19?

Until 2020, I had never seriously considered how much a global pandemic could change everyday life. I now think “The Great Three” has become “The Great Four.” COVID-19 changed all of us, and many things will never return to the way they were.

As an IT executive, I have planned for disasters of all kinds: fires, floods, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes. A pandemic was always possible in theory, but it felt distant and hard to picture. We had historical examples, including the 1918 flu pandemic, and more recent events such as H1N1. But none of those prepared most of us for the scale of disruption COVID-19 brought.

Businesses had to adapt quickly. Employees began working from home. Schools moved online. Healthcare changed. Companies had to find new ways to serve customers and keep operating. At the same time, many families faced illness, loss, and uncertainty.

The human cost has been heartbreaking.

The need for more empathy in business

The pandemic also made me look differently at the contracts we have with vendors and suppliers.

For much of 2020, I was responsible for corporate facilities in addition to my regular IT leadership role. Before work from home and shelter in place orders, our company operated five main locations along with several smaller offices around the world.

Once offices closed, we were still paying for buildings we could not use. Like many companies, we asked landlords for some relief. They had their own bills and mortgage obligations, of course, but many were unwilling to discuss meaningful options. The response often came down to contract language, late fees, collections, or delayed payments that would eventually still be due.

That experience made one thing clear to me: business contracts often leave little room for empathy when circumstances change dramatically.

The pandemic clause

Over the years, I have reviewed many contracts. Most include language for disasters or acts of God, but few clearly address what happens during a pandemic that prevents a business from using the space, equipment, or services it is paying for.

That needs to change.

Future contracts, especially longer-term leases and equipment agreements, should include clear provisions for a pandemic or government mandated closure. These clauses could define what happens if a business is required to close or cannot use what it is paying for.

For example, a lease could provide temporary rent relief if a shelter in place order prevents employees from occupying the space. An equipment contract could reduce payments if copiers, printers, or other office equipment cannot be used because no one is allowed in the office.

This is not about avoiding obligations because a company chooses to work from home. It is about fairness when a business is required to close through no fault of its own.

A landlord should not be expected to carry the entire burden, and neither should a tenant. The point is to agree in advance on a reasonable way to share the impact of an extraordinary event.

Hindsight is always clear. Still, COVID-19 has taught us to plan for risks that once felt unlikely. Hopefully, we will not see another pandemic of this scale for many years. But if we do, better contracts and more thoughtful business relationships can help everyone weather it with a little more fairness and empathy.

The Human Side of Technology - People Come First

 

People Come Before the Job

We are living through strange and difficult times. Our county has been under a shelter in place order for months. Some restrictions are beginning to ease, and we have been fortunate that our local healthcare system has been able to manage the case numbers so far.

Still, there is another cost that is becoming harder to ignore. It is not just about the health of our networks, systems, or businesses. It is about the health of the people doing the work, including their mental health and overall well-being.

A lesson I learned early

From 1999 to 2002, I worked for a technology startup called eHealthInsurance. At the time, it was everything I wanted in a job: a fresh approach to health insurance, an energetic leadership team, and a company that seemed excited to have me. I was young, motivated, and eager to contribute.

In 2001, my wife and I were expecting a baby. I spoke with my manager about transferring from the Bay Area to the Sacramento area, where we planned to raise our family. The move was approved.

We sold our home in San Jose, moved in with my in laws temporarily, and bought a home in Roseville. The plan was for me to stay in San Jose until our daughter was born in 2002.

Then life changed quickly.

The September 11 attacks happened. As a former firefighter and EMT, I felt the loss deeply. Soon after, the dot com bubble burst and the economy entered a downturn.

Early in 2002, the vice president of engineering learned about my move and revoked the approval for my transfer. This happened only two months before my daughter was due. We had already sold our house, were living with my in-laws, and were preparing to move into our new home.

It was a shock. We had made major decisions based on an agreement that was suddenly gone.

The meeting that changed my view of leadership

I spent the next several weeks trying to keep the conversation open and find a solution. The company already had a telecommuting policy for employees who lived more than 50 miles from the office. I hoped that some flexibility would be possible.

At our final meeting, I was told that my position would not transfer to Folsom. I would be required to work in Sunnyvale five days a week. Even if I moved to the Roseville area, roughly 120 miles away, I would not be allowed to work from home or from the Folsom office.

I was disappointed, but I also knew the decision had been made. After months of trying to do the right thing and communicate openly, I resigned.

That experience stayed with me.

My point is not to dwell on an old job. It is to highlight a lesson about management. As leaders, we have a responsibility to care about our employees as people, not simply as resources.

That leader saw the situation only as a business problem. There was no room for my family, the difficult economy, the baby we were expecting, or the fact that my manager had approved the move months earlier.

Understanding what people need now

Today, I am a vice president of IT. I manage people, carry responsibilities, and report to leaders above me. But none of that removes my responsibility to lead with compassion and empathy.

Recently, an employee came to me to talk about how the pandemic had affected their mental well-being. They were feeling isolated and struggling with the uncertainty of life during COVID-19.

I listened. I told them they were not alone.

Many of us have felt the strain. The boundaries between work and home have blurred. Workdays stretch into long hours while families share the same space all day. It can feel like we are caught somewhere between a permanent vacation and a constant workday.

Some days, it is hard to find motivation. Some days, it is hard to focus. That does not mean people are failing. It means they are human.

The specifics of what the employee needed were less important than making space for the conversation. They needed to be heard, and I needed to respond with understanding and flexibility.

Their health and well-being mattered more than the immediate task in front of them.

The kind of leader I want to be

After that conversation, I realized something important. I had become the leader I needed when I was in that difficult situation in 2002.

Over my career in IT, I have tried to learn from the best managers I have worked for. I have also learned from the ones who showed me what not to do. My goal has always been to combine those lessons with my passion for technology and become the best leader I can be.

This experience reminded me that leadership is not just about projects, budgets, systems, or results. It is about people.

COVID-19, shelter in place orders, social unrest, and economic uncertainty have taken a real toll on many people. Work life and personal life have blended together in ways few of us expected. Focus can become difficult. Isolation can become overwhelming.

As managers and supervisors, we need to make room for compassion. We need to listen. We need to remember that every employee has a life outside of work, with challenges we may not always see.

Business matters. Results matter. But the people doing the work matter more.

That is how I want to lead, every day.