In the debut episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, co-hosts Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick introduce themselves and reflect on the personal and professional journeys that shaped their leadership philosophies. Both long-standing leaders at the University of Illinois, they bring decades of experience in IT and higher education to the table, aiming to create an authentic, insightful podcast that pushes beyond formulaic leadership content.
Candice shares three deeply personal leadership lessons drawn from transformative life events. From surviving a collapsed lung and undergoing major surgery during her freshman year to facing isolation and stereotyping as one of the few Black women in her engineering classes, her stories highlight the importance of resilience, self-definition, and the power of relationships. Her advice to young leaders—embracing self-awareness and authenticity—resonates as she speaks about building community, finding inner strength, and defying external expectations.
Chris brings a complementary perspective, recounting how a spontaneous presentation about Pinterest launched him unexpectedly into leadership. He describes his evolution from instinctive leadership to more intentional and self-aware practice through formal development programs. Chris candidly shares how feedback about arrogance and intimidation pushed him to embrace vulnerability as a leadership strength. One of his most striking lessons centers on how his personal growth caused his CliftonStrengths results to shift over time—specifically, how his once-dominant "woo" strength (winning others over) diminished as he became more focused on enabling others' success over promoting his own.
Together, Candice and Chris set the tone for an open, reflective, and human-centered approach to leadership. Their mutual trust and willingness to explore their missteps, growth, and evolving perspectives promises a podcast filled with real talk, relatable challenges, and leadership insights grounded in lived experience. Future episodes will delve into topics like self-care, governance, and leadership in academic environments, offering thoughtful takeaways for leaders at all stages.Links:
The Power of Vulnerabilityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o Clifton Strengthshttps://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx
Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. Candice is currently the Director of IT Partners at the College of Applied Health Sciences and Chris is the Chief Information Officer and Senior Director of IT Partners at the Gies College of Business.
