Leadership Spotlight: Isaac Garrido

In this month’s Leadership Spotlight, we’re featuring Isaac Garrido, an inspirational leader at Strategic. Devoted to embodying Strategic’s core values—Respect, Reliability and Responsibility—Isaac’s leadership style is shaped by his personal and professional experiences, focusing on developing, supporting and encouraging his team. Learn how Isaac utilizes his interests in his leadership approach, fueling his dedication to lead his team where ownership and trust are prioritized.

What is your professional background and how has it shaped you as a leader at Strategic?

Before joining Strategic, I worked as the Video Director of the service livestream for the church I am a part of. Imagine a dark, compact room filled with eight 65” TVs, computers, a robotic camera controller and a video switcher. Every weekend, that was my workspace, where I was responsible for “calling the shots.” The adrenaline was high as the countdown began: “3, 2, 1.” It was in this high-pressure environment that I learned to stay calm and composed while managing complex tasks, ensuring a great service. These experiences have influenced my current role as Systems Manager. Whether it’s troubleshooting network issues, resolving hardware failures or addressing software glitches, I’ve learned that staying calm is key to maintaining focus and finding solutions. Additionally, as a current director of a small group of church volunteers, I’ve developed my leadership skills by encouraging collaboration, listening to different perspectives and contributing to thoughtful decision-making.

Are there any specific values or principles that have guided your approach to leading your team?

I look to Jesus as my primary source of leadership values, particularly His example of servant leadership. Although I may not literally wash my team’s feet as He did, I strive to embody the same spirit by rolling up my sleeves and supporting my team in any way necessary. Beyond this, one of my favorite books on leadership is Extreme Ownership, which emphasizes the importance of taking full responsibility and avoiding the temptation to place blame when mistakes occur.

Aside from your Professional responsibilities, what personal passions or interests do you bring to your role as a leader?

One of my greatest passions is video production, whether for weddings, church or simply for fun. This passion stems from my deep love of movies, which has always been a source of inspiration. Recently, however, my interest in web development has taken center stage, pushing video work to the background. I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the process of building websites in my free time, focusing on creating clean, sleek and user-friendly designs. We’ve all encountered cluttered and overwhelming websites, and one of my favorite aspects of web development is crafting sites that are both functional and visually appealing.

Both video production and web development are skills that require dedication and practice, much like leadership. Leadership, too, is a craft—one that demands time, effort and a commitment to growth. Just as I strive for perfection in my creative endeavors, I bring the same dedication to honing my leadership abilities.

What aspects of your role as leader ignite your enthusiasm the most?

What excites me most about my role as a leader is the opportunity to help others succeed in their careers. There’s something incredibly rewarding about guiding team members as they grow, develop new skills and achieve their goals. Seeing their progress, whether it’s mastering a challenging task, stepping into a leadership role or finding confidence in their abilities, is deeply fulfilling. For me, leadership isn’t just about achieving objectives—it’s about creating an environment where people can thrive, take ownership of their work, and reach their full potential. Watching my team grow into strong, capable leaders is one of the most gratifying parts of what I do.

We are thankful to have you as part of our leadership, Isaac!