Category Archives: Leadership

Redefining Tech Leadership in the Age of Microsoft AI

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AI is no longer a niche capability – it is a leadership catalyst. As Microsoft continues to push boundaries with tools like Azure and Fabric, the demands on today’s tech leaders are shifting from execution to orchestration.

Gone are the days when leadership was about optimizing operations or protecting the status quo. Modern leaders must be architects of adaptability, guiding their teams through complexity with vision, responsibility, and digital fluency.

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” — Albert Einstein

Microsoft Fabric exemplifies this evolution. By weaving together data, governance, and analytics into a unified ecosystem, it challenges leaders to rethink how information flows, how decisions are made, and how innovation scales.

According to IDC, by 2027, 75% of enterprises will operationalize AI across their business processes, citing platforms like Azure and Fabric as critical enablers.

Real-Life Impact: Lumen’s Leadership in Action
Lumen, a global enterprise connectivity provider, faced fragmented data systems and manual processes that slowed decision-making. By adopting Microsoft Fabric, they unified data ingestion, storage, and analytics; cutting 10,000 hours of manual effort and enabling near real-time insights across departments.

Marketing and sales teams now collaborate seamlessly, dashboards refresh every 10 seconds, and executives gain instant clarity on campaign ROI. Fabric did not just improve efficiency – it redefined how Lumen leads with data.

“Instead of wrestling with systems, our teams are focused on impact.” — Jerod Ridge, Director of Data Engineering, Lumen

Are you ready to lead in the new era of innovation? Start by exploring Fabric’s design philosophy, rethinking your data strategy with Azure, and considering how your leadership style can evolve alongside the technology.

Keep building the future – one insight, one decision, and one bold move at a time.

Why Data Silos Hurt Your Business Performance

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Let’s be honest – data is the backbone of modern business success. It is the fuel that drives smart decisions, sharp strategies, and competitive edge. But there is a hidden problem quietly draining productivity: data silos.

What is the Big Deal with Data Silos?

Picture this – you have teams working hard, digging into reports, analyzing trends. But instead of sharing one centralized source of truth, each department has its own stash of data, tucked away in systems that do not talk to each other. Sound familiar? This disconnect kills efficiency, stifles collaboration, and makes decision-making way harder than it should be.

How Data Silos Wreck Productivity

Blurry Vision = Ineffective Decisions Leadership decisions based on incomplete data lead to assumptions rather than informed facts.

Wasted Time & Redundant Work
Imagine multiple teams unknowingly running the same analysis or recreating reports that already exist elsewhere. It is like solving a puzzle with missing pieces – frustrating and unnecessary.

Slower Processes = Missed Opportunities
When data is not easily accessible, workflows drag, response times lag, and the business loses agility. In fast-moving industries, those delays can mean lost revenue or stalled innovation.

Inconsistent Customer Data = Poor Experiences
When sales, marketing, business units, and support teams are not working off the same customer data, you get mixed messages, off-target campaigns, and frustrated customers.

Breaking Free from Data Silos

To break free from stagnation, proactive action is essential:

Integrate Systems – Invest in solutions that connect data across departments effortlessly.
Encourage Collaboration – Get teams talking, sharing insights, and working toward common goals.
Leverage Cloud-Based Platforms – Make real-time access to critical data a priority.
Standardize Data Practices – Guarantee accuracy and consistency with company-wide data policies.

Data silos are not obvious at first, but their impact is massive. Fixing them is not just about technology, it is about a smarter, more connected way of working. When businesses focus on integration and accessibility, they unlock real efficiency and stay ahead of the game.

Streamline Dependency Management in Databases

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In the intricate world of business, where precision and efficiency are paramount, managing database dependencies can often feel like navigating a labyrinth. Imagine having a tool that not only simplifies this process but also uncovers hidden efficiencies, ensuring your institution remains agile and error-free. Enter Redgate’s SQL Search – a game-changer for database administrators striving to maintain robust and responsive systems. Discover how this powerful tool can revolutionize your approach to database management and propel your institution toward unparalleled operational excellence.

Understanding SQL Search

Redgate’s SQL Search is a free tool that integrates seamlessly with SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Visual Studio. It allows us to search for SQL code across multiple databases and object types, including tables, views, stored procedures, functions, and jobs. The tool is designed to help database administrators and developers find fragments of SQL code quickly, navigate objects, and identify dependencies with ease.

Use Case: Finding Dependencies Within Tables

One of the most valuable features of SQL Search is its ability to find dependencies within tables. Dependence can include references to columns, foreign keys, triggers, and other database objects. Identifying these dependencies is essential for tasks such as schema changes, performance optimization, and impact analysis.

Scenario: An institution needs to update a column name on a critical table but is unsure of all the stored procedures, views, and functions that reference this column.

Solution: Using SQL Search, we can perform a comprehensive search to identify all dependencies related to the column. Here is how:

  1. Install SQL Search: Ensure SQL Search is installed and integrated with SSMS or Visual Studio.
  2. Search for Dependencies: Open SQL Search and enter the column name in the search bar. SQL Search will return a list of all objects that reference the column, including stored procedures, views, functions, and triggers.
  3. Analyze Results: Review the search results to understand the scope of dependencies. This helps in assessing the impact of the column name change and planning the necessary updates.
  4. Update References: Make the required changes to the column name and update all dependent objects accordingly. SQL Search ensures that no dependencies are overlooked, reducing the risk of errors and downtime.

Benefits for Enterprise Institutions

Implementing SQL Search offers several benefits:

  • Efficiency: SQL Search significantly reduces the time required to find and manage dependencies, allowing us to focus on more strategic tasks.
  • Accuracy: By providing a comprehensive view of dependencies, SQL Search helps prevent errors that could arise from overlooked references.
  • Impact Analysis: The tool enables thorough impact analysis before making schema changes, ensuring that all affected objects are identified and updated.
  • Performance Optimization: Identifying and managing dependencies can lead to better database performance, as redundant or inefficient references can be optimized.

Redgate’s SQL Search is an invaluable tool for teams looking to enhance their database management practices. By leveraging its powerful search capabilities, we can efficiently find and manage dependencies within tables, ensuring accuracy and optimizing performance. Whether it is for routine maintenance or major schema changes, SQL Search provides the insights needed to make informed decisions and maintain a robust database system.

Implementing SQL Search can transform the way one manages database management, leading to improved operational efficiency and reduced risk of errors. Consider integrating this tool into your workflow to experience its benefits firsthand.

Building Resilience: Leadership Insights from Sports

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In the bustling world of sports, leadership appears as a beacon of hope and direction. Imagine a football team, standing on the brink of a crucial match. The players, each with their unique strengths and weaknesses, look towards their captain for guidance. This captain, embodying the essence of leadership, understands that success is a collective effort. The leader knows that every player must feel valued and motivated to contribute their best. Through open communication and a collaborative spirit, the leader fosters a culture where teamwork thrives.

As the game progresses, challenges arise. The opposing team scores, and the morale of our team dips. Yet, the captain stays undeterred. The leader has faced setbacks before and knows the importance of resilience. With a positive outlook and unwavering determination, the leader inspires teammates to persevere. They rally together, driven by the belief that they can overcome any obstacle.

Behind the scenes, the captain’s journey is marked by discipline and commitment. The leader’s training regimen is rigorous, demanding both physical and mental fortitude. The leader adheres to a strict schedule, continuously striving to improve skills. This dedication is mirrored in the leader’s approach. The leader is committed to the vision and dedicated to the team’s growth, setting the tone for collective success.

Strategic thinking is another hallmark of the leader’s approach. On the field, the leader devises game tactics, predicting challenges and adapting strategies in real-time. This ability to think critically and make informed decisions guides the team towards their goals. Off the field, the leader analyzes situations, ensuring that every move is calculated and purposeful.

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in the leader’s approach. The captain experiences intense emotions, from the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat. Yet, the leader manages these emotions with grace, supporting composure and empathy. The leader understands teammates’ feelings, creating a supportive environment where everyone feels understood and valued.

Leading by example, the captain proves hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship. The leader’s actions speak louder than words, earning respect and loyalty from the team. The leader embodies the values preached, setting a powerful precedent that motivates others to follow suit.

Through the lens of sports, we see that leadership is not just about directing others; it is about inspiring them. The qualities developed through sports-minded discipline are essential for effective leadership in any domain. These qualities include teamwork, resilience, discipline, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and leading by example. By adopting these principles, individuals can become inspiring leaders. They drive their teams to success. This applies both on and off the field.

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.” — Vince Lombardi

How Redgate Flyway Can Boost Your DevOps Journey

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A brief introduction to the tool and its advantages for database migrations


UntitledDevOps is a culture and a set of practices that aim to deliver software faster and more reliably, by breaking down the silos between development and operations teams. One of the key aspects of DevOps is continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), which automates the building, testing, and deploying of code changes. However, CI/CD often overlooks a crucial component of software development: the database.

Database migrations, or the changes to the database schema and data, are often done manually, or with scripts that are not version-controlled, tested, or integrated with the rest of the codebase. This can lead to errors, delays, and inconsistencies, as well as security and compliance risks. Moreover, database migrations can be complex and risky, especially when dealing with large or legacy databases, or when working with multiple environments and teams.

That’s where Redgate Flyway comes in. Flyway is a tool that simplifies and automates database migrations, by allowing you to define them as code, version them, and apply them across different environments. Flyway supports a wide range of databases, including SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and more. Flyway also integrates with popular CI/CD tools, such as Jenkins, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, and more.

Flyway comes in different editions: Community, Teams, and Enterprise. The capabilities vary between editions, with the Enterprise edition offering auto-generation of migration and undo scripts, drift detection, change reporting, and more.

How does Flyway work?

Flyway works by using migration scripts, which are SQL files that contain the commands to alter the database schema or data. You can write these scripts yourself or use Flyway’s baseline feature to generate them from an existing database. You can also use Flyway’s undo feature to revert a migration if something goes wrong.

Flyway keeps track of the migrations that have been applied to each database, by using a metadata table called flyway_schema_history. This table records the version, description, checksum, and status of each migration. Flyway uses this information to determine which migrations need to be applied, and in what order, when you run the flyway migrate command.

Flyway also supports repeatable migrations, which are scripts that run every time you migrate, and always in the same order. These are useful for things like views, functions, or stored procedures, that depend on the database state. Flyway also supports callbacks, which are scripts that run before or after a migration, or on certain events, such as errors or warnings. These are useful for things like logging, auditing, or notifications.

What are the benefits of using Flyway?

Using Flyway can provide several benefits for your DevOps initiatives, such as:

  • Improved quality and reliability: By defining your database migrations as code, you can apply the same standards and practices that you use for your application code, such as version control, testing, code review, and documentation. This can help you avoid errors, inconsistencies, and technical debt, and ensure that your database is always in sync with your application. Flyway Enterprise can also auto-generate migration and undo scripts for SQL Server, Postgres, Oracle, and MySQL. This removes an element of human error while also introducing standardization of scripts and higher team productivity into the deployment process.
  • Faster and safer deployments: By automating your database migrations, you can reduce the time and effort required to deploy them and eliminate the need for manual interventions or downtime. You can also integrate Flyway with your CI/CD pipeline and run your migrations as part of your build or release process. This can help you achieve faster feedback loops and deliver value to your customers more frequently and reliably.
  • Increased collaboration and visibility: By using Flyway, you can enable better communication and collaboration between your development and operations teams, as well as other stakeholders, such as database administrators, testers, or auditors. You can also use Flyway’s features, such as the info, validate, or history commands, to get more visibility and insight into the state and history of your database migrations.
  • Enhanced security and compliance: By using Flyway, you can ensure that your database migrations are done in a consistent and controlled manner and that they adhere to the security and compliance requirements of your organization. You can also use Flyway’s features, such as the repair, clean, or undo commands, to fix any issues or restore your database to a previous state, in case of a problem or an audit.

What are some use cases and ROI savings for using Flyway?

Flyway can be used for a variety of use cases and scenarios, such as:
Migrating from one database platform to another or upgrading to a newer version of the same platform.

  • Refactoring or modernizing your database schema or data, to improve performance, scalability, or maintainability.
  • Managing multiple database environments, such as development, testing, staging, or production, and ensuring that they are aligned and consistent.
  • Supporting multiple teams or projects, that work on different parts of the same database, or on different databases, and need to coordinate and synchronize their changes.
  • Integrating with other tools or services, such as source control, testing, monitoring, or reporting, to enhance your DevOps workflow and capabilities.

Using Flyway can also provide significant ROI savings for your organization, by:

  • Reducing the cost and complexity of database migrations, eliminating the need for manual work, custom scripts, or third-party tools.
  • Increasing the productivity and efficiency of your teams, by enabling them to focus on delivering value, rather than dealing with database issues.
  • Minimizing the risk and impact of database failures, by ensuring that your migrations are tested, verified, and reversible.
  • Boosting the satisfaction and loyalty of your customers, by delivering high-quality software, faster and more frequently.

How Can Data Empower Leaders

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Using data effectively, leaders can make better decisions, drive innovation, and inspire trust.

What is leadership through data?

Leadership that utilizes data is the ability to use data as a strategic asset for achieving organizational goals. Data leaders are not necessarily data experts, but they understand the value and potential of data and can foster a data-driven culture within their teams and organizations. Data leaders use data to better inform their decisions, communicate their vision, and measure their impact. Leadership within data is not just about having access to data but about using it wisely, strategically, and ethically.

Why is data leadership important?

Leadership in data is necessary because data is everywhere and is constantly growing. Data can provide insights into customer behavior, market trends, operational efficiency, and drive a data-driven culture. Data can also help leaders identify opportunities, solve problems, and innovate for the future. Helping leaders gain a competitive edge, improve performance, and increase customer satisfaction. Finally, leadership within data can also help leaders build trust, transparency, and accountability with their stakeholders and foster a culture of learning and collaboration. Taking data and its quality to the next level will help drive any company’s strategic priorities and critical initiatives.

How can leaders use data effectively?

Leaders can use data effectively by following some best practices, such as (but not limited to):

  • Define clear and relevant goals and metrics. Leaders should know what they want to achieve and how they will measure their progress and success. Leaders should also align their data and organizational goals and communicate them clearly and concisely to their teams and stakeholders. Extreme Ownership.
  • Collect and analyze data from multiple sources and perspectives. Leaders should not rely on a single source or type of data but seek to gather and integrate data from different sources. They should also consider different perspectives that may affect the data and use appropriate methods and tools to analyze and visualize it.
  • Share and act on data insights. Leaders should not keep data to themselves but share it with their teams and stakeholders and solicit feedback and input. They should also use data to inform their actions and test and refine their methods. They should also monitor and evaluate the outcomes and impacts of their data-driven decisions and learn from their successes and failures.

The Wrap Up

Leadership with data is a vital skill for leaders in today’s world. Using data effectively, leaders can make better decisions, inspire trust, and drive innovation. Data leadership is not about being a data expert but a data-savvy leader who can leverage data as a strategic asset for achieving organizational goals can be a gamechanger.

Friend of Redgate 2022

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I am honored and humbled to be chosen to be part of the Friend of RedGate program for another year. This program is near and dear to my heart, and I look forward to continuing to serve the community the best I can.

Information from Redgate’s site:

The Friends of Redgate program is an exclusive group of influential and active community members, such as popular blog writers, speakers, consultants, as well as Microsoft Data Platform MVPs.

Friends of RedGate help support the community by providing opportunities to collaborate on content such as articles, webinars, and speaking sessions. We also connect them with our development teams, so they can get the inside scoop on our products and share their insights and ideas.

Friends of Redgate help with

  • Writing articles for the Redgate Hub and external media
  • Present sessions at events and produce webinars
  • Build and develop Redgate’s tools
  • Help the community solve problems

Some Awesome Traits of Friends

  • Participate in at least one research call with the development team
  • Work with Redgate to produce content for the Microsoft Data Platform community (for example articles, blogs, webinars, webinar panels, or speaking sessions)
  • Completing the annual State of Database DevOps Survey
  • Spreading the word about Redgate on social media, in speaking sessions, or through personal blogs

The Power of User Groups

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AzureDataCommunity

Fascination has always been with me when thinking of developing local talent. It has helped me immensely in my career both as an attendee, presenter, chapter leader, and more. One can glean immense value from becoming involved in a local UG (user group), whether by the connections made in networking, friendships formed, or learning something new that can help you on your journey.

This post isn’t one to talk about the past and looking at the rearview mirror, but seeing something tremendous and looking through the windshield. That phrase was told to me recently by a mentor, and it stuck with me. For those that aren’t aware, Microsoft has done a great job at intertwining a global network for user groups to come together and share knowledge to further impact communities.

Helpful Links:

  1. Can submit your group here – https://t.co/IzONhUQqel?amp=1
  2. Can submit your event here – https://t.co/0cE0sA5rbF?amp=1
  3. Find a user group on meetup – https://t.co/uRBu6utV5N?amp=1
  4. Upcoming community event list – https://t.co/IzONhUQqel?amp=1
  5. FAQ’s for the Azure Data Community – Azure Data Community FAQs – Microsoft Tech Community

This statement provides an in depth belief of what is starting to transcend community events globally in this arena:

We are Community Owned, Microsoft Empowered. Group leaders own their group, membership lists, content, etc. In that way we aren’t a governing umbrella organization. We’re a network of user groups with a common goal.

The Azure Data Community will continue to grow worldwide, and I challenge you to become involved in your local area. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in leadership at a local level and a global level in years past; nothing is more rewarding to see and help others continue to grow on their journey.

Why I’m Running For The PASS Board – Again

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Hello, it’s amazing to me how fast the past couple of years have gone by as I’ve served on the PASS Board. It has been a journey that has been both rewarding and challenging, but I would not change any of it. At times the challenges have been great, the stress large. Representing the PASS Community is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

I have given much thought to this, and I am writing today to say I will be running again for the Board of Directors At Large seat for PASS.

Now, often in a post like this you would expect to read about my accomplishments, my vision, and how I will make things better. I will keep this simple, clear, and concise:

  1. I’m running because I believe in the PASS Community and what it has done for me and my professional colleagues.
  2. My passion for helping others succeed has only grown since I decided to initially run almost two years ago.
  3. There is always room for improvement; a belief that has helped me grow in my career. I strive to be better than I was yesterday, and the same concept goes for me as a Board member.
  4. Some believe you can’t make a difference as a Board member, but in living and breathing the Board duties, I have witnessed many great things happening contrary to this notion.
  5. I view this as a WE thing; not a me thing. I was told it would be a challenge, whether that be with community members, working with the Board, or collaborating with PASS HQ. I’m happy to say this hasn’t been the case. We are a team and together we can and do accomplish so much. Doesn’t mean we will always agree; it does mean that tough decisions will be needed. To that I say, let’s go!
  6. While Board members can burn out over time and stop contributing, if you know me at all, then you will realize that hasn’t been the case with me. Listen, I’m not perfect and you will never hear me say that I am. What I can tell you is that I’ll continue to fight for this community and make it better than it was yesterday.

I hope many more people will run for the Board in the future. Yes it is hard work. But despite the rumor that one can’t make a difference – a true difference – they can. Let’s get after it. Believe in yourself and fuel up with optimism.

I appreciate you reading this and if you deem me worthy enough of a second run, I’m happy and willing to serve alongside some great individuals and professionals. It’s been an honor and privilege.

180 – Is It Time For A Turnaround?

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What needs to change? The challenge to explore is are there things in your current day to day that needs to change? Maybe there are some habits, things, processes that need to be turned around. One of the most difficult things about turning around in my mind is acknowledging the fact that you were actually going the wrong way. What….we make mistakes…..nope, never, nuh uh. Admitting to that is not often an easy task.

We may uncover some inefficiencies in your processes at work, we might discover that the direction we’ve been heading in leads to a dead end, or we may even get to that point where we say, “yeah it’s time for a turn around”. It’s then you begin to start to look for that exit ramp; you look for the place where you can turn your flicker (turn signal for some of you) on so you can get off the journey you are on and go a different route.

How do you turn around? Sometimes our pride makes it hard in admitting the road we have been on isn’t the right road we should be taking. We don’t like using the word humble because it makes you feel vulnerable or weak. In my past experiences in technology, and I’ve been doing this now for 18 years is that there is usually always something we (I) could have been doing better.

The path you are on may feel right and other people are taking it, and because it feels right it is unnatural to do a 180; a different direction than what others are doing – it’s not natural.

When is the last time you yourself have said the words I’m sorry? If you haven’t in a while then yeah it’s unnatural. C’mon you know what I’m talking about. You run into these people everywhere; the ones that think their way is always the right way. They call you stupid or point out your mistakes 24/7 telling you how ignorant you are. Or you run into someone who says you won’t be worth anything why are you even trying. Entertain me for a minute and what if that same person did a 180; they didn’t give you a heads up and came up to you and told you that they were sorry. It’s a different road.

This is all well and good Chris but what about you? Ha, well my friend I’ve been taken several exit ramps over the years to turn around. Both professionally and personally. This post is more on the technical side of the house so, there are some things that maybe we can do differently in our day to day work that may cause us a 180-degree turnaround.

  • Backup plans
  • Maintenance
  • Life Cycle Management
  • Documentation (sigh, yeah I need to look at this one)
  • Platform Upgrades
  • Communication (this could be a topic in and of itself and in my mind should be a continual work in progress)
  • Hiring guidelines
  • Career Pathing
  • The security model for databases
  • Disaster Recovery

The above is not an all-inclusive list but it’s a start. Some of the ways that have helped me over the years and may help you in tackling such an initiative are:

Think Progress, not perfection  – this is a big deal because if you are like me you’d like everything to be perfect. You may find yourself using the term “Never Again”. I challenge you to let go of that mentality and you claim victory one day at a time.  If you mess up one day; and you will. It will be okay. You can’t change yesterday, but today is a new beginning.

Think future, not past – yes the past is important because it is full of lessons learned. With that said the past can’t keep you chained; instead focus on the future of where you are going; where your team is going, and where your shop is going.

Think training, not trying – this may sound weird coming from me because I do believe you should try. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m focused on training yourself for the tasks at hand. Example; if I wanted to go try for the Olympics and I go out and try my chances of succeeding aren’t very high. Why? cause I haven’t trained for it. Then if I look at my day job at the shop if I am trying to do something without training for it am I being efficient enough?

So, I ask this question – is it time for a turnaround? I get to work with a lot of tech people locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. I hear a lot that this would have been nice to know a long time ago and it’s too late now. I’m too far in my career. You don’t want to take that exit ramp because of the unknown. My own personal opinion it’s never too late to make a turnaround.

Now I don’t know the road you’ve been on I can only speak for myself. All I am presenting here is that if you are at a point where you know there needs to be a turn around don’t be afraid to take it. Keep fighting the good fight and make a difference wherever you are.