The Difference Between Good and Great IT Leaders with Doug Ullman
Dive into this episode of Shift Happens as we catch up with Doug Ullman, the mastermind behind Global IT Operations at Valmont Industries. From his first IT gig in highschool to leading a fortune 750 manufacturing giant, Doug unravels the art of simplicity and efficacy in the tech world. With a keen eye on cutting-edge automation, he shares the secret sauce to eliminating grunt work and elevating productivity. But that’s just the beginning.
Doug ventures beyond borders, revealing the magic of seamless communication and cultural finesse in managing tech teams across the globe. Through a blend of wisdom from the halls of higher education to the hustle of manufacturing floors, he highlights the ultimate goal: satisfying user needs.
Get ready for a rollercoaster of insights, topped with a hilarious tale of a Windows 10 upgrade escapade that took an unexpected turn. This episode transcends the usual podcast format; it’s a goldmine of IT engineering insights, a celebration of putting users first, and a tribute to the bold leadership required to steer global tech teams.
Show Highlights Include:
- 00:10:25-00:10:35 | To be unclear is to be unkind.
- 00:12:36-00:12:47 | Just because you automated it doesn’t make it right.
- 00:20:55-00:21:05 | Meeting end users where they are.
- 00:21:37-00:21:47 | Ensuring that you have robust infrastructure on the back end.
- 00:18:43-00:18:54 | The biggest change that I’ve seen is that there’s a whole lot more value on the generalist.
- 00:25:26-00:25:36 | Developing something in the lab and then going, ‘Alright’ and promising on that.
- 00:26:49-00:27:00 | Working through the “oh no seconds”
- 00:12:47-00:12:58 | Automation is important, but you want to automate the right thing.
