Mark Johnson
@markjohnsonit.bsky.social
Helping Federal orgs get more from emerging tech. Husband, father, retired Navy pilot. IBM VP, but all opinions only mine.
When teams wait for permission, progress stalls. Compliance culture protects process but limits initiative. In federal tech, real transformation comes from partners who understand intent, take responsibility, and act with judgment inside the guardrails. Accountability moves missions forward.
Want to accelerate innovation? Focus on triad of people, policy and technology through lens of AI, autonomy and automation
Delivering on federal missions going forward depends on a pace of innovation that only use of emerging technologies can achieve, BAE Systems’ Peder Jungck says.
federalnewsnetwork.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:41 PM
When teams wait for permission, progress stalls. Compliance culture protects process but limits initiative. In federal tech, real transformation comes from partners who understand intent, take responsibility, and act with judgment inside the guardrails. Accountability moves missions forward.
When compliance replaces initiative, progress slows.
Shifting tech oversight shows how fear of mistakes stalls action. Teams await instruction instead of leading with judgment. That mindset protects process, not outcomes. Real progress comes from intent, discipline, & ownership.
Shifting tech oversight shows how fear of mistakes stalls action. Teams await instruction instead of leading with judgment. That mindset protects process, not outcomes. Real progress comes from intent, discipline, & ownership.
September 2025 US Tech Policy Roundup | TechPolicy.Press
A roundup of the most important US tech policy developments in the federal government, Congress, and beyond from Freedman Consulting and Tech Policy Press.
www.techpolicy.press
November 7, 2025 at 2:36 PM
When compliance replaces initiative, progress slows.
Shifting tech oversight shows how fear of mistakes stalls action. Teams await instruction instead of leading with judgment. That mindset protects process, not outcomes. Real progress comes from intent, discipline, & ownership.
Shifting tech oversight shows how fear of mistakes stalls action. Teams await instruction instead of leading with judgment. That mindset protects process, not outcomes. Real progress comes from intent, discipline, & ownership.
In truth, this is already happening. AI is speeding up cyberattacks & exposing how slow most response systems still are. Automation demands faster judgment, not just faster tools. Real resilience comes from teams trained to decide under pressure, not react to it.
AI is about to supercharge cyberattacks
It's a ticking time bomb facing U.S. companies
www.axios.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:47 PM
In truth, this is already happening. AI is speeding up cyberattacks & exposing how slow most response systems still are. Automation demands faster judgment, not just faster tools. Real resilience comes from teams trained to decide under pressure, not react to it.
100%. Leadership forged through service stands out for a reason: discipline, accountability, & ability to perform under pressure.
Military training builds habits that carry into all fields, but we should be helping veterans apply those strengths in new contexts with that same focus & integrity.
Military training builds habits that carry into all fields, but we should be helping veterans apply those strengths in new contexts with that same focus & integrity.
🎖 Military: The Gold Standard
U.S. Army leaders outperform others in all six core skills thanks to relentless training and real-world practice. Should more veterans step into leadership roles?
#MilitaryLeadership #VeteranLeaders #LeadershipExcellence
U.S. Army leaders outperform others in all six core skills thanks to relentless training and real-world practice. Should more veterans step into leadership roles?
#MilitaryLeadership #VeteranLeaders #LeadershipExcellence
November 3, 2025 at 4:45 PM
100%. Leadership forged through service stands out for a reason: discipline, accountability, & ability to perform under pressure.
Military training builds habits that carry into all fields, but we should be helping veterans apply those strengths in new contexts with that same focus & integrity.
Military training builds habits that carry into all fields, but we should be helping veterans apply those strengths in new contexts with that same focus & integrity.
AI use across government expands as budgets tighten. Progress hinges on clarity, discipline, and judgment. Leaders align technology to purpose, set firm priorities, and fund what strengthens readiness, resilience, and mission outcomes. Transparency on tradeoffs keeps teams focused and accountable.
AI Rising, Budgets Falling: The 2025 NASCIO Annual Story
NASCIO held their annual conference in Denver this past week, and while many leaders describe difficult budget environments, the opportunities for using AI remain abundant.
www.govtech.com
November 2, 2025 at 7:35 PM
AI use across government expands as budgets tighten. Progress hinges on clarity, discipline, and judgment. Leaders align technology to purpose, set firm priorities, and fund what strengthens readiness, resilience, and mission outcomes. Transparency on tradeoffs keeps teams focused and accountable.
Cyber incidents in the UK jumped 50% this year, which is a reminder that resilience begins with leadership, not tools. Preparation, communication, and accountability define how organizations endure disruption. Security isn’t a reaction, but a responsibility built long before the breach.
UK warns business leaders as 'highly significant' cyber incidents rise 50%
British cyber incidents classed as "highly significant" have risen by 50% over a year ago, the head of the country's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will say on Tuesday.
A series of cyber attacks in recent months has knocked some of Britain's biggest brands, including Marks & Spencer , Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), offline.
"Every leader, whether you're one person at your kitchen table
www.reuters.com
October 31, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Cyber incidents in the UK jumped 50% this year, which is a reminder that resilience begins with leadership, not tools. Preparation, communication, and accountability define how organizations endure disruption. Security isn’t a reaction, but a responsibility built long before the breach.
Interesting take on AI investment as a defense strategy rather than a market trend. There’s truth in how infrastructure, compute, and data security now shape national readiness as much as any traditional system. Definitely worth a read.
The AI Bubble is a National Defense Strategy in Disguise
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIBubble #TechnologyPolicy #TechTrends #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #MachineLearning #AIEthics #BigData #Cybersecurity #TechAnalysis #Taiwan
theaveragejoe.org/blog/f/the-a...
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIBubble #TechnologyPolicy #TechTrends #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #MachineLearning #AIEthics #BigData #Cybersecurity #TechAnalysis #Taiwan
theaveragejoe.org/blog/f/the-a...
The AI Bubble is a National Defense Strategy in Disguise
By Joseph Frusci, Ed.D.
theaveragejoe.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Interesting take on AI investment as a defense strategy rather than a market trend. There’s truth in how infrastructure, compute, and data security now shape national readiness as much as any traditional system. Definitely worth a read.
For years, agencies were told to wait for perfect data before taking action. But that mindset slows progress and limits innovation.
We’ve reached a point where leaders can work with data as it is: usable, timely, and real.
Progress takes judgment, discipline, and the courage to move with intent.
We’ve reached a point where leaders can work with data as it is: usable, timely, and real.
Progress takes judgment, discipline, and the courage to move with intent.
October 31, 2025 at 1:25 PM
For years, agencies were told to wait for perfect data before taking action. But that mindset slows progress and limits innovation.
We’ve reached a point where leaders can work with data as it is: usable, timely, and real.
Progress takes judgment, discipline, and the courage to move with intent.
We’ve reached a point where leaders can work with data as it is: usable, timely, and real.
Progress takes judgment, discipline, and the courage to move with intent.
What do you do when your team is frozen with indecision?
Overthinking can feel like control, but it delays progress. Here’s what helps me move forward:
1. Define “good enough”
2. Set deadlines
3. Treat decisions as checkpoints, not final verdicts
4. Ask for facts
5. Document & follow through
Overthinking can feel like control, but it delays progress. Here’s what helps me move forward:
1. Define “good enough”
2. Set deadlines
3. Treat decisions as checkpoints, not final verdicts
4. Ask for facts
5. Document & follow through
October 30, 2025 at 7:27 PM
What do you do when your team is frozen with indecision?
Overthinking can feel like control, but it delays progress. Here’s what helps me move forward:
1. Define “good enough”
2. Set deadlines
3. Treat decisions as checkpoints, not final verdicts
4. Ask for facts
5. Document & follow through
Overthinking can feel like control, but it delays progress. Here’s what helps me move forward:
1. Define “good enough”
2. Set deadlines
3. Treat decisions as checkpoints, not final verdicts
4. Ask for facts
5. Document & follow through
Federal HR faces smaller teams, tighter budgets, and shifting policies. Progress depends on structure, clarity, and trust. Leaders build systems that reduce friction and keep people aligned. Technology supports the work, but judgment and accountability move it forward.
With federal HR in flux, smaller teams are finding smarter ways to do more with less
"When you do any type of workforce reductions, you have to realize that you're also going to have attrition. Employees are going to leave," Rick Hammell said.
federalnewsnetwork.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Federal HR faces smaller teams, tighter budgets, and shifting policies. Progress depends on structure, clarity, and trust. Leaders build systems that reduce friction and keep people aligned. Technology supports the work, but judgment and accountability move it forward.
Leaders don’t need to be engineers, but they need enough technical fluency to cut through buzzwords.
Too many conversations get lost in jargon. Technical fluency keeps leaders focused on the areas that drive real progress: outcomes, risks, and decisions.
Too many conversations get lost in jargon. Technical fluency keeps leaders focused on the areas that drive real progress: outcomes, risks, and decisions.
October 26, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Leaders don’t need to be engineers, but they need enough technical fluency to cut through buzzwords.
Too many conversations get lost in jargon. Technical fluency keeps leaders focused on the areas that drive real progress: outcomes, risks, and decisions.
Too many conversations get lost in jargon. Technical fluency keeps leaders focused on the areas that drive real progress: outcomes, risks, and decisions.
Good breakdown on the Salesloft and Drift incidents.
Okta stopped the supply-chain attack. Zscaler didn’t. The difference wasn’t luck, but preparation. Resilience starts long before the breach.
Okta stopped the supply-chain attack. Zscaler didn’t. The difference wasn’t luck, but preparation. Resilience starts long before the breach.
Security leaders at Okta and Zscaler share lessons from Salesloft Drift attacks
Security leaders at Okta and Zscaler share lessons from Salesloft Drift attacks
Okta thwarted the supply-chain attack with security controls it had in place. Zscaler did not. Their experiences provide insights into the root of a much broader problem.
cyberscoop.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Good breakdown on the Salesloft and Drift incidents.
Okta stopped the supply-chain attack. Zscaler didn’t. The difference wasn’t luck, but preparation. Resilience starts long before the breach.
Okta stopped the supply-chain attack. Zscaler didn’t. The difference wasn’t luck, but preparation. Resilience starts long before the breach.
In the Navy, we drilled until failure became routine training, each lesson absorbed before it mattered most. The Army’s “fail fast, fix fast” mindset reflects that same discipline. Preparation, feedback, and trust build resilience long before any system reaches the mission.
The Army's putting move fast, fail fast, fix fast to the test with its new command and control system
The US Army's command and control system, NGC2, is a prime example of the service's new approach to developing weapons.
www.businessinsider.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:57 PM
In the Navy, we drilled until failure became routine training, each lesson absorbed before it mattered most. The Army’s “fail fast, fix fast” mindset reflects that same discipline. Preparation, feedback, and trust build resilience long before any system reaches the mission.
Authentic leadership starts with restraint. It’s knowing when to speak and when to hold back.
The leaders who earn trust communicate with clarity and purpose.
Credibility grows through preparation, discipline, and the consistency of their actions.
The leaders who earn trust communicate with clarity and purpose.
Credibility grows through preparation, discipline, and the consistency of their actions.
October 21, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Authentic leadership starts with restraint. It’s knowing when to speak and when to hold back.
The leaders who earn trust communicate with clarity and purpose.
Credibility grows through preparation, discipline, and the consistency of their actions.
The leaders who earn trust communicate with clarity and purpose.
Credibility grows through preparation, discipline, and the consistency of their actions.
I hear from Federal leaders all the time that they have DR because they have one instance of their critical app in the cloud. Never has been true, and we keep relearning this lesson. Hybrid cloud is the answer for reliability and performance.
Reliance on central cloud services has, in may ways, improved cybersecurity and stability around the world. But this standardisation comes with major tradeoffs—the platforms become a single point of failure for large swaths of critical services.
www.wired.com/story/what-t...
www.wired.com/story/what-t...
What the Huge AWS Outage Reveals About the Internet
Amazon Web Services experienced DNS resolution issues on Monday morning, taking down wide swaths of the web—and highlighting a longstanding weakness in the internet's infrastructure.
www.wired.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:33 PM
I hear from Federal leaders all the time that they have DR because they have one instance of their critical app in the cloud. Never has been true, and we keep relearning this lesson. Hybrid cloud is the answer for reliability and performance.
Everyone thought everything was going to the cloud. I said it would be hybrid.
The same thing happened with blockchain. It didn’t solve a new problem. It just did things differently.
Real progress comes from evaluating technology by mission outcomes.
The same thing happened with blockchain. It didn’t solve a new problem. It just did things differently.
Real progress comes from evaluating technology by mission outcomes.
Why cloud repatriation is back on the CIO agenda
CIOs aren’t ditching the cloud — they’re moving some workloads back home to cut costs, meet rules and keep performance in check.
www.cio.com
October 19, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Everyone thought everything was going to the cloud. I said it would be hybrid.
The same thing happened with blockchain. It didn’t solve a new problem. It just did things differently.
Real progress comes from evaluating technology by mission outcomes.
The same thing happened with blockchain. It didn’t solve a new problem. It just did things differently.
Real progress comes from evaluating technology by mission outcomes.
Geoff Hamm makes the point: self-service AI boosts productivity in federal agencies, but speed without governance creates risk. Operational use demands trust, explainability, and outcomes leaders can stand behind.
IBM's Geoff Hamm on self-service gains in government
Geoff Hamm | AI Productivity SME | IBM
fedscoop.com
October 10, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Geoff Hamm makes the point: self-service AI boosts productivity in federal agencies, but speed without governance creates risk. Operational use demands trust, explainability, and outcomes leaders can stand behind.
The counsel we need often comes from the team, not from above. Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned came from peers and team members.
Leadership means being open to feedback from every direction. The best decisions happen when you listen beyond the chain of command.
Leadership means being open to feedback from every direction. The best decisions happen when you listen beyond the chain of command.
October 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
The counsel we need often comes from the team, not from above. Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned came from peers and team members.
Leadership means being open to feedback from every direction. The best decisions happen when you listen beyond the chain of command.
Leadership means being open to feedback from every direction. The best decisions happen when you listen beyond the chain of command.
On-prem remains essential for government missions. Data sovereignty, continuity of operations, and security requirements keep data centers in play. The goal of hybrid cloud is aligning workloads with mission needs, and for many agencies, that still includes on-prem.
Why cloud repatriation is back on the CIO agenda
CIOs aren’t ditching the cloud — they’re moving some workloads back home to cut costs, meet rules and keep performance in check.
www.cio.com
October 6, 2025 at 8:33 PM
On-prem remains essential for government missions. Data sovereignty, continuity of operations, and security requirements keep data centers in play. The goal of hybrid cloud is aligning workloads with mission needs, and for many agencies, that still includes on-prem.
Gallup found only 3% of Americans fully trust AI to make fair decisions. Over half want federal regulation for safety and data security. The priority now is building the trust that makes operational use possible.
Without trust, adoption stalls.
Without trust, adoption stalls.
Americans Prioritize AI Safety and Data Security
Most Americans favor maintaining rules for AI safety and security, as well as independent testing and collaboration with allies in developing the technology.
news.gallup.com
October 2, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Gallup found only 3% of Americans fully trust AI to make fair decisions. Over half want federal regulation for safety and data security. The priority now is building the trust that makes operational use possible.
Without trust, adoption stalls.
Without trust, adoption stalls.
The problem with generative AI is trust. That’s what matters. If we can’t trust it, we can’t use it in government systems.
Operational use of AI depends on accuracy, explainability, and governance. Missions require outcomes that are verifiable and reliable.
Operational use of AI depends on accuracy, explainability, and governance. Missions require outcomes that are verifiable and reliable.
September 30, 2025 at 6:52 PM
The problem with generative AI is trust. That’s what matters. If we can’t trust it, we can’t use it in government systems.
Operational use of AI depends on accuracy, explainability, and governance. Missions require outcomes that are verifiable and reliable.
Operational use of AI depends on accuracy, explainability, and governance. Missions require outcomes that are verifiable and reliable.
I’ve seen people spend hours chasing a missing dollar in compensation while overlooking the opportunity to land the next $100,000 deal. Leadership is about showing where time and energy generate the most impact and helping teams shift from pennies to priorities.
September 29, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I’ve seen people spend hours chasing a missing dollar in compensation while overlooking the opportunity to land the next $100,000 deal. Leadership is about showing where time and energy generate the most impact and helping teams shift from pennies to priorities.
Interesting HBR article about "workslop" from poor use of GenAI. Misused tools create poor outputs that drain productivity and trust. How are you employing GenAI? hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
AI-Generated “Workslop” Is Destroying Productivity
Despite a surge in generative AI use across workplaces, most companies are seeing little measurable ROI. One possible reason is because AI tools are being used to produce “workslop”—content that appea...
hbr.org
September 25, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Interesting HBR article about "workslop" from poor use of GenAI. Misused tools create poor outputs that drain productivity and trust. How are you employing GenAI? hbr.org/2025/09/ai-g...
In business and in the cockpit, hesitation is costly. On my first solo flight, I learned to trust the training, make the call, and keep going.
Progress only happens when you choose to move forward.
Progress only happens when you choose to move forward.
September 23, 2025 at 3:23 PM
In business and in the cockpit, hesitation is costly. On my first solo flight, I learned to trust the training, make the call, and keep going.
Progress only happens when you choose to move forward.
Progress only happens when you choose to move forward.
Encryption depends on trust, transparency, and testing. Early rollouts often highlight speed over assurance, which is why leaders should press for evidence before adoption. Security has to be proven in practice.
NEW: X has started rolling out it's end-to-end encrypted chat for all users.
I was invited to start using it yesterday, so I asked a couple of experts if users should trust it. The answer: no, nobody should trust it at this point.
There are several reasons why, which they explained to me here.
I was invited to start using it yesterday, so I asked a couple of experts if users should trust it. The answer: no, nobody should trust it at this point.
There are several reasons why, which they explained to me here.
X is now offering me end-to-end encrypted chat. You probably shouldn't trust it yet. | TechCrunch
X's new encrypted messaging feature, XChat, has some red flags.
techcrunch.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Encryption depends on trust, transparency, and testing. Early rollouts often highlight speed over assurance, which is why leaders should press for evidence before adoption. Security has to be proven in practice.