Candice and Chris discuss the core concept that leadership can occur at all levels of an organization or community, regardless of title or authority. Leadership at its essence is the ability to influence people to take action toward a common goal. We provide example from our own careers where we’ve demonstrated leadership and highlight the leadership of others that we’ve witnessed. We also share ideas for how to build leadership opportunities by building relationships, performing at a high level, and cultivating the art of storytelling. Candice and Chris are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.

Candice and Chris discuss the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their professional and personal lives. When diversity, equity, and inclusion are combined well, they allow communities and organizations to unlock their full productive potential and allow all members to be seen, heard, and valued. We dive into some of the pitfalls that lead to failure in DEI efforts, and reveal some of the ways that we continue to struggle with DEI issues in our own lives. Note: Near the end of the podcast, Chris brings up the concept of intersectionality. For more information on this important topic, please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViDtnfQ9FHc and https://www.ted.com/talks/kimberle_crenshaw_the_urgency_of_intersectionality Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.

Candice and Chris discuss the leadership topic of self-care. Self care is important for leaders to improve productivity and avoid burnout or mental and physical health challenges. Candice introduces the mnemonic concept of DERPAT (Diet, Exercise, Rest, People, Attitude, and Time) to explain her self-care strategy. Chris talks about not making work-life a binary decision, compartmentalization, keeping stress appropriately scaled, taking care of his physical self, and being creative outdoors.

Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.

Candice and Chris discuss the leadership topic of prioritization through the lens of learning to let the right things go. There are times when we think we’re superheroes and can do more things than are humanly possible. We have our jobs, our families and friends, our passions, and ourselves to serve and it can be overwhelming to look at the unending list of things to do and emotions to manage. The only way to focus on the most important things is to let the right things go. Chris shares the concepts of 1) speaking truth to power to align resources with expectations, 2) developing goals for alignment, 3) managing the tyranny of the urgent, 4) focusing on internal improvements that you can control, and 5) managing your response to other’s people’s urgency. Candice shares her perspective on 1) keeping the important things in the air while juggling, 2) aligning priorities with personal values and goals, and 3) turning rejection into redirection.

Chris introduces the Eisenhower Matrix tool. More information is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT89OZ7TNwc and https://asana.com/resources/eisenhower-matrix

Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.

Chris Tidrick and Candice Solomon-Strutz discuss the top leadership lessons from their lives. Links:

The Power of Vulnerability https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o Clifton Strengths https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.