If You're Going To Be A Leader, You Must Manage Your Career Strategically

Let's talk about you.

When other IT or cybersecurity professionals talk about you behind your back, would they describe you as a cuddly lap dog or as a snarling guard dog? 

(Yes you can only have two options. And no, the dog you think you are does not matter.)

Not everyone should be a leader -- just like not all dogs are good watchdogs. 

Our advice is simple: if you're going to be a leader, particularly a leader in cybersecurity, you must manage your career strategically.

What that means is that you are always intentionally building your peer network, making connections (in real life not on social media), and being helpful.

You don't need to be everyone's friend but you need to be supportive and act like a resource.

What's in it for you?

Our HR guru, JP Elliott, puts it this way:

"But the real benefit is confidence. When you're connected to a community of HR professionals, you stop feeling like you're solving problems alone. You gain perspective on your challenges, support for your decisions, and insight into what's working elsewhere."

And why does that matter? Quoting JP at length:

"This confidence shows up in how you present ideas to leadership, how you approach new initiatives, and how you position yourself as a strategic partner within your organization.

If you're not building these connections, here's what tends to happen:

You end up working harder to solve problems that others have already figured out. You miss opportunities because you're not connected to the people who know about them first. You build your reputation one person at a time instead of leveraging the credibility that comes from being known in your professional community.

Most importantly, you limit your ability to create the impact you became an HR leader to make. The best solutions and most innovative approaches often come from the collective wisdom of multiple professionals, not from working alone."

Maybe some of these connections will make their way into your leadership 'kitchen cabinet.' But that's not always the case. 

Here is JP once more giving you practical, real, advice on how to do it:

"THREE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:

Start by reaching out to three people in your network with no agenda other than checking in on how they're doing and sharing a relevant article or insight.

Next, try choosing quality over quantity at your next networking opportunity by setting a goal to have three substantive conversations rather than collecting dozens of business cards.

Finally, commit to establishing a regular networking rhythm by scheduling monthly coffee chats with peers and quarterly check-ins with your broader professional network."

Cybersecurity is not about attacking someone else's network, it's about collaborating to defeat attacks on all the networks.

Let's also address the so-called elephant in the room: isn't it icky-sticky to do this stuff?

Answer: No. Being strategic about your career is good business and good cybersecurity because everyone wins. Bow wow!

Ask us how you can build your strategy to become the cybersecurity professional other people want in their pack.