Cisco Sanchez Urges Tech Leaders to Slow Down, Reflect, and Lead with Purpose

• The XOPS executive calls for more reflection, hands-on leadership, and responsible AI decisions in today’s high-speed tech environment.

Carlsbad, CA, 16 Dec 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Cisco Sanchez, Chief Product and Engineering Officer at XOPS, is encouraging technology leaders to step away from hustle culture and build better habits of reflection, critical thinking, and execution. Drawing from nearly three decades in technology leadership — including roles as CIO of Qualcomm and FedEx Ground — Sanchez is calling attention to a growing problem: we’re moving fast, but not always wisely.

“Don’t mistake busyness for value,” Sanchez says. “Speed feels like progress, but without clarity, it’s just noise.”

Why Slowing Down is a Competitive Advantage

According to a 2024 report by Gartner, 64% of digital transformation initiatives stall due to poor internal alignment — not technology gaps. Sanchez believes this comes down to a lack of structured reflection.

“I take 15 minutes at the end of every day and one hour on Fridays to ask: What worked? What didn’t? What did I miss?” he explains. “It sounds small, but that rhythm adds up.”

This practice has guided him from his early days as an intern at FedEx to overseeing multi-billion-dollar operations. His message is simple: reflection is not optional — it’s a performance tool.

Tech Leadership Still Requires Getting Your Hands Dirty

Sanchez also warns against leaders becoming too detached from their teams or tools.

“If you’re only operating at 30,000 feet, you’re missing what’s breaking down at sea level,” he says.

At XOPS, he remains hands-on with architecture reviews and product feedback. He believes staying connected to the technical and operational reality is essential — especially when navigating fast-moving areas like AI, cloud infrastructure, and automation.

“You build trust by understanding the gears — not just steering the ship.”

Responsible AI: Balancing Efficiency with Judgment

Cisco Sanchez has been vocal about the importance of human-centered AI adoption. While automation continues to expand across enterprise systems, he emphasizes the need for guardrails and interpretation.

“Automation can process data. But only humans can apply judgment,” he says. “Good leadership means knowing the difference.”

A study by McKinsey in 2025 found that 60% of organizations implementing AI had no formal training programs for managers on AI oversight. Sanchez sees this as a red flag.

“If you don’t understand what your systems are doing, you’re not leading. You’re just reacting.”

What You Can Do: A Call to Reflection and Reconnection

Cisco Sanchez encourages leaders, operators, and professionals across industries to take three small but meaningful steps:

• Reflect regularly. Block 15 minutes daily to review decisions. Use Fridays for a deeper weekly reset.
  

• Stay close to the work. Whether you’re an engineer or executive, spend time with your systems, users, and teams.
  

• Ask better questions. Don’t just ask what can be automated — ask what should be.
  

“The smartest move isn’t always the fastest,” Sanchez says. “It’s the one that builds trust, clarity, and outcomes that last.”

About Cisco Sanchez

Cisco Sanchez is Chief Product and Engineering Officer at XOPS and a board member at the Fleet Science Center. He previously served as Global CIO at Qualcomm and CIO at FedEx Ground, where he led teams of 3,500+ and drove large-scale digital transformation efforts. With over 28 years of experience in enterprise IT, Sanchez is known for his practical leadership style, systems thinking, and commitment to mentoring the next generation of technologists.

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