#216: From Coast Guard to CIO — Craig Hopkins on Purpose-Driven Leadership in San Antonio

#216: From Coast Guard to CIO — Craig Hopkins on Purpose-Driven Leadership in San Antonio

Episode Highlights

What if the secret to transformational leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room, but being the “humble gardener” who grows others? In this episode, San Antonio CIO Craig Hopkins shares why “we’re not IT professionals, we’re operational leaders,” how small behaviors compound into culture, and what it really means to build teams with purpose. From Team of Teams to One Mission, this episode is packed with practical frameworks — a true masterclass in purpose-driven leadership.

(02:00) From Coast Guard to CIO: Finding Purpose in Service

(04:00) USAA’s 20-Year Leadership Lab: Five Careers, One Company

(08:00) A Costly Lesson at Sea: How Tragedy Shaped Craig’s View of Leadership

(14:00) Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

(16:00) One Mission: How Leaders Unite a Team of Teams

(19:00) Behaviors → Character → Culture: How Small Actions Shape Organizations (for Better or Worse)

(25:00) The Humble Gardener: Why Great CIOs Cultivate People, Not Control Them

Links Mentioned

Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal

One Mission: How Leaders Build a Team of Teams by Chris Fussell

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