Your Cybersecurity Leadership Style: Strategy Meets Philosophy

One of our favorite financial advisor bloggers, Ben Carlson, posted his reflections on having worked for 10 years in institutional asset management and 10 years in individual wealth management. One of his learnings is, "Philosophy has to be universal. Strategy has to be personal." Here's what he means (quoting at length):

Everyone in a wealth management firm needs to be rowing the same direction for things to run smoothly. You need everyone on the same page when it comes to the overarching philosophy for investments, financial plans and client experience. No rogue agents.

But the individual strategy for each client has to be personalized if it’s going to work. Everyone has different circumstances, needs and desires and you have to build them into the plan.

The client always has more buy-in when the comprehensive plan is tailored to their particular situation.

We can't comment on wealth management or how Ben thinks about it but this is an important starting point for framing cybersecurity leadership.

Cybersecurity strategies vary widely across organizations. For example, different organizations have different approaches to hypercloud strategies, and these imply different approaches to governance and security for these enclaves. 

Your leadership style is your philosophy about leadership -- "How can I be effective as a leader?" -- within a given strategy framework. That is, you can believe that leaders should do certain things or be more/less of some ideal, but you need to be effective within the broader strategy of the organization.

There is some basic advice we can give you as a leader as you shape your leadership style. 

First, you will only be effective as a leader by being the best leader you can be given your strengths, not by trying to be the best leader you ever worked for before or whom you've read about.

Second and closely related, you may have a lot of leadership strengths but you will fail miserably if you do not mitigate your leadership weaknesses. You'll need a coach for that.

Third, as Ben elsewhere says in his reflection, "Trust is important" and "Process in everything is key." If people don't trust you as a leader of a technical function, you lose regardless of how smart you are or how much you know or that you went to the right 'elite' university -- not just any 'elite' university, mind you! -- or the fact that you are the boss' niece or nephew. 

Finally you must be intentional about having a leadership style. You cannot be an effective leader just showing up at work with the mindset that you are an individual contributor who happens to go to company leadership meetings. In fact you will fail with that mindset. It's a sign that you have a bad leadership attitude, and remember we tell you repeatedly that you will be fired for your personality.

Let's re-write Ben's learnings about wealth management philosophy and strategy to help you start to develop your cybersecurity leadership style:

Everyone in a cybersecurity team needs to be rowing the same direction for things to run smoothly. You need everyone on the same page when it comes to the overarching philosophy for coordination with organizational metrics and strategy, technical developments, and regulatory/governance requirements. No rogue agents.

The individual strategy for each cybersecurity process has to be adjusted to the organization's risk management strategy if it’s going to work. Every organization has different circumstances, needs and desires, and you have to build them into the cybersecurity plan.

Leadership always has more buy-in when the comprehensive plan is tailored to their particular situation.

Ask us how we can help you shape a leadership style that reflects your philosophy while advancing cybersecurity strategy.