How do you lead technology for 100,000+ students across 127 campuses, without becoming the bottleneck, the bureaucrat, or the burnout?

In this episode of the Strategic Thinking Podcast, James Symons sits down with Kris Trejo, Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services (and CTO) at Northside Independent School District, the 4th largest school district in Texas. Kris shares the leadership philosophy that's carried him from a textbook warehouse to the top of one of the country's largest K-12 tech organisations over 27 years and 8 promotions.

From building a "work toward a yes" culture to navigating the most challenging political and budgetary climate public education has faced in decades, this conversation is a masterclass in leading at scale without losing the human in the work.

Key themes:

• K-12 technology leadership at scale

• Building a "yes" culture in IT

• Avoiding bureaucracy in large organisations

• Hiring, mentoring, and growing future leaders

• Leading through political and budgetary pressure

• Emotional intelligence in senior leadership

• Work-life balance as a leadership strategy