234- From Social Outcast to Director: How Ted Assur Moved Beyond Toxic IT to Lead with Empathy

Ted Assur With over 25 years of experience, Ted Assur has worn many hats across industries – from developer and DBA to manager and director. Early fascination with leveraging tech drew him to computers, but toxicity in IT culture led him to embrace customer service and empathy. He advocates moving from commodity specialist to indispensable generalist, shadowing business roles, and solving users’ problems, not just implementing solutions. Ted currently heads IT for a construction management firm. From Social Outcast to Director: How Ted Assur Moved Beyond Toxic IT to Lead with Empathy Join us as IT leader Ted Assur draws on his 25+ years of diverse experience to candidly examine unhealthy cultural norms that emerged as social misfits gained power in tech. Discover how a shift to focusing on customer service and empathy transformed his approach and opened doors to leadership roles. Gain insight into transitioning from developer to manager, the value of generalist experience, and key lessons on partnering with users to solve problems.