Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s Next
Between Fires and Futures is the podcast for modern tech leaders caught in the constant tension of today and tomorrow.
It’s the space between daily firefights—cloud issues, AI hype, security breaches—and the visionary work of building scalable, resilient, future-ready organizations.
Each week, we talk with the strategists, technologists, and innovators doing the real work of leading change. These are unfiltered conversations that expose the tradeoffs, wins, and lessons no one puts in the case studies.
No spin. No fluff. Just pressure-tested leadership, real-world insight, and bold thinking.
https://www.technologymatch.com/
Between Fires and Futures: Real Conversations for Tech Leaders Navigating What’s Now—and What’s Next
Leadership vs. Management: What IT Leaders Must Master with Maxwell Leadership's Mike Lyles
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In this episode, Tonya sites down with Mike Lyles—Head of IT at Maxwell Leadership, keynote speaker, certified coach, and author of The Drive-Thru Is Not Always Faster. With more than 30 years of experience leading Fortune 50 IT teams, Mike has built organizations from the ground up and coached leaders across the globe. But what sets him apart isn’t just his credentials—it’s the way his people describe him: “the best boss I’ve ever had.”
Together, Tonya and Mike unpack one of the most common mistakes in IT: confusing leadership with management. They reveal why inspiration without structure leads to chaos, and why discipline without vision stalls innovation. Through real-world examples and practical insights, this episode will help you strengthen both muscles—whether you naturally lean toward leadership or management—so your IT teams can thrive.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- The biggest misconception about leadership in IT and why technical excellence doesn’t automatically translate into people leadership.
- What poor management really looks like in day-to-day IT environments (and how to spot it fast).
- The ripple effects of poor management on technology projects and outcomes.
- Practical ways to close the gap if you’re strong in leadership but weak in management—or vice versa.
- How John Maxwell’s principles, including the Five Levels of Leadership and 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, shape Mike’s approach to leading IT teams.
- The importance of mentors and why no leader should go it alone.
- How to stay disciplined while navigating AI and other fast-moving innovations without falling for shiny-object syndrome.
- The toughest leadership lessons Mike and Tonya learned early in their careers—and how those failures became turning points.
Resources & Books Mentioned:
- The Drive-Thru Is Not Always Faster by Mike Lyles
- The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John C. Maxwell
- Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell
- The Five Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- How to Become CEO by Jeffrey J. Fox
Connect with Mike Lyles: