Candid Conversations on Leadership

Candid Conversations on Leadership

Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick

Episodes 24
Avg. Duration 32m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (2)
Since Jul 2024
Latest Episode Mar 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
46%
Hosting
anchor.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick have in-depth conversations about what it means to be a leader today. Candice and Chris are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. You can find Candice at @caniso13 on Instagram, Twitter, Threads, and TikTok and @candicesolomonstrutz on LinkedIn. You can find Chris at @think.feel.lead on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok, and @christophertidrick on LinkedIn.

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Recent Episodes

S2E4 Episode 2.04 A Journey to Inclusive Leadership with Dean Venetria K. Patton

Mar 24, 2026 29m

In this episode of Candid Conversations, Chris and Candice welcome Venetria K. Patton, the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Dean Patton reflects on the leadership…

S2E3 Episode 2.03 Leading Through Our Fractures

Feb 22, 2026 31m

In this episode, Chris and Candice go one-on-one for a candid conversation sparked by Chris’s recent Substack post, “Leading Through Our Fractures.” They open by grounding the moment in Black History…

S2E2 Episode 2.02 Servant Leadership with James Quisenberry

Nov 09, 2025 32m

In this episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, Chris and Candice welcome guest James Quisenberry, who leads IT for Student Affairs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and…

S2E1 Episode 2.01: Season 2 Kickoff

Sep 28, 2025 44m

Season 2 of Candid Conversations opens with a twist—hosts Candice and Chris step out of their usual roles and into the hot seat, interviewed by their longtime producer and behind-the-scenes champion,…

S1E20 Episode 1.20: A Mission-Focused Approach to Leadership with Kevin Jackson

Jun 16, 2025 41m

In this episode of Candid Conversations, Chris and Candice welcome Dr. Kevin Jackson, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. With an extensive…

S1E19 Episode 1.19: Leadership Transformation and Self-Growth with Sparkle Sanders

Jun 02, 2025 40m

In this episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, Chris and Candice welcome Sparkle Sanders, a certified leadership consultant, speaker, and coach with Maxwell Leadership. With over 20 years of…

S1E18 Episode 1.18: Leading with Kindness and Curiosity with Josh Henry

May 19, 2025 28m

In this episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, Candice and Chris welcome Josh Henry, the newly appointed Assistant Director of Research Collaborative Services in the Office of the CIO at the…

S1E17 Episode 1.17: Building Human-Centered Spaces in Higher Education with Tekita Bankhead

May 05, 2025 37m

In this episode of Candid Conversations, Chris and Candice sit down with Tekita Bankhead, a global DEI strategist, writer, speaker, and educational consultant who currently serves as the Director of…

S1E16 Episode 1.16: Principles, Purpose, and Radical Honesty with Jamelle Sharpe

Apr 21, 2025 52m

In this insightful episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, hosts Candice and Chris welcome Jamelle Sharpe, Dean, Professor, and Guy Raymond Jones Faculty Scholar at the University of Illinois…

S1E15 Episode 1.15: Empathy, Curiosity, and Support with Robert Baird

Apr 07, 2025 37m

In this heartfelt and wide-ranging episode of Candid Conversations, we welcome Dr. Robert Baird. Robert is the Senior Associate Director of Educational Partnerships at the Center for Innovation in…

S1E14 Episode 1.14: Advocating and Leading with Purpose with Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell

Mar 24, 2025 21m

In this episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, we sit down with Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, Dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois. With a distinguished…

S1E13 Episode 1.13: Resilience, Determination and the Power of Leadership with Jean Driscoll

Mar 10, 2025 39m

In this episode of Candid Conversations on Leadership, we sit down with Jean Driscoll, an eight-time winner of the Boston Marathon in the women’s wheelchair division and the Assistant Dean for…

S1E12 Episode 1.12: Higher Ed Leadership, Student Affairs, and Well-Being with Danita Brown Young

Feb 17, 2025 31m

In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Danita Brown Young, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares the story of her leadership journey…

S1E11 Episode 1.11: Being a Bold, Transparent, and Empathetic Leader with Brooke Elliott

Feb 03, 2025 32m

In this episode of Candid Conversations, Chris and Candice welcome Dean Brooke Elliott of the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Brooke, who has served in a…

S1E10 Episode 1.10: Accountability in Ourselves and Our Teams

Jan 20, 2025 23m

Chris and Candice dive into the complex topic of accountability and how they motivate themselves and their teams to be accountable. Working in an environment that doesn’t have a significant amount of…

S1E9 Episode 1.09: EDUCAUSE 2024 Annual Conference Feedback and Lessons Learned

Jan 06, 2025 23m

Chris and Candice discuss the benefits of attending professional conferences with a focus on the most recent EDUCAUSE Annual Conference. We dive into Brené Brown's keynote chat, the top issues facing…

S1E8 Episode 1.08: Building a Culture of Feedback

Dec 09, 2024 26m

Chris and Candice dive into the concept of feedback and how it’s a critical ingredient in healthy teams and organizations. Feedback is a gift to give and to receive when it is specific, timely, and…

S1E7 Episode 1.07: Ask Us Anything Live at the IT Pro Forum

Dec 02, 2024 43m

Candice and Chris take Candid Conversations on Leadership on the road with a live event at the University of Illinois IT Pro Forum on November 12, 2024. They answer a variety of questions from the…

S1E6 Episode 1.06: The Art of Interviewing

Nov 18, 2024 24m

Chris and Candice discuss the art of interviewing. We share our own experiences interviewing for jobs as well as what we look for when hiring. The conversation also includes a number of tips you can…

S1E5 Episode 1.05: Leading from Where You Are

Oct 14, 2024 31m

In this inspiring and practical episode, hosts Chris and Candice explore the powerful idea that anyone, regardless of their title or formal position, can be a leader. Drawing on the famous line from…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Candid Conversations on Leadership have?

Candid Conversations on Leadership has published 24 episodes since July 2024, covering topics in Education, Self-Improvement.

Is Candid Conversations on Leadership still active?

Candid Conversations on Leadership is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 32m.

How do I contact Candid Conversations on Leadership for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Candid Conversations on Leadership, including email and social media links.

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