Business leaders today face mounting pressure to evolve their technology infrastructure while keeping operations running smoothly. Economic uncertainty, technological disruption, and rapid growth create complex challenges that require strategic thinking rather than reactive solutions. Gary Crisci brings decades of IT executive experience to help organizations navigate these waters with clarity and purpose.
The Reality of Modern IT Leadership
Gary works with leadership teams who are feeling the squeeze. “I work with leadership teams that are facing pressure to evolve, whether it’s due to economic shifts, tech disruption, or just plain growing pains,” he explains. These aren’t abstract problems on a whiteboard. They’re real challenges that keep executives up at night. Gary’s job cuts through all that noise. “My job is to help you simplify what’s complex, move with clarity, and build the operational foundation for whatever comes next,” he says.
That could mean growth, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, or just getting better at what you already do. The problems aren’t getting easier. Technology moves faster than most companies can keep up with. At the same time, every dollar spent needs to show results. Gary has worked with enough organizations to know that chasing every new trend is a losing game.
Progress Over Perfection
Here’s something that might surprise perfectionist leaders. Gary thinks trying to get everything perfect is actually dangerous. “We see this all the time. Too much time spent trying to get it just right, meet every requirement, check off every box that is on the page, making sure that every ‘I’ is dotted and ‘T’ is crossed,” he observes. Sounds thorough, right? Wrong. Gary calls this “a recipe for disaster.” What works better is keeping things moving. You need to be “continuously moving the needle, showing progress, showing your stakeholders that things are moving along and they’re getting better.” Why? Because targets don’t stay put. “Whatever you think that end of the road is, it’s going to change before you get there,” Gary points out. So, stop trying to build the perfect solution and start building something that can adapt.
Simplify What Feels Complex
Tech people love getting into the weeds. Gary has watched this happen over and over. “We spend too much time digging into the details, especially in technology where we try to make that solution fit every possible outcome,” he explains. Sure, details matter. But not when they make you lose sight of the big picture. Gary keeps it simple. “We need to be thinking about how does this solution increase revenues or decrease costs? That should be your primary starting point.” Sounds basic? That’s the point. “You are in business to make money. How is this program or project or whatever it is you’re working on helping you make more money or save money?” If you can’t answer that question, you’re probably working on the wrong thing.
Work With Strategic Partners, Not Just Vendors
This one comes from Gary’s battle scars. “I’ve had vendors that just want to sell me. They just want to make the next deal and they just want to get whatever money they can out of it,” he shares. These relationships never end well, especially when things get tough. Real partners are different. “Those true partners that I’ve worked with have benefited just as much in terms of what they get back from working with us, not just what they earn by working with us,” Gary explains. He’s lived this. “I’ve gone and done conferences and presentations for my best vendor partners, touting what they did and how it helped us. That’s mutual benefit.” The test comes when problems hit. “I’m happy to do it when they’re there for us through the hard times. But if they’re just looking to make the next sale, you got to put them on the side,” Gary advises. Fair weather partners don’t help when storms roll in.
Gary’s three principles aren’t revolutionary. They’re just good sense applied to technology decisions. Progress beats perfection. Simple beats complex. Partners beat vendors. Put them together and you get technology foundations that actually support business growth instead of getting in the way. For companies ready to stop putting out fires and start building something solid, Gary’s approach offers a path forward that makes business sense.
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