Obligatory "The Odyssey" Post

This past weekend, like about 27% of the population of the US, I went here to a showing of the movie The Odyssey. 

I don't do movie reviews because I know my limits. But in case you're undecided I can say it was worth it because the story is...epic. (The horse scenes -- get it, Trojan Horse? I could have written off tickets as a business expense! -- were intense.)

At nearly the same time this review came out over at The Growth Equation. And as it is within my scope, I'll comment on it.

Entitled "What The Odyssey Can Teach Us About Navigating Life," the good people at The Growth Equation saw parallels between the multi-decade travails of Odysseus and everyday challenges -- and how to achieve greatness. Let's review relative to life in cybersecurity.

Right up front it's important to note that Odysseus is not a "nice guy." He's described immediately as andra polytropon, a man of many turns (or as Professor Wilson's translation has it, "A complicated man"). In short, Odysseus is tough. His wife, Penelope, is also tough. Life is tough. And yet, as The Growth Equation notes, You Can’t Willpower Your Way Through Everything: "You need to understand when environmental design beats discipline. Or when you need good people around you to prevent you from doing something stupid." Sound like you against burnout at work?

And furthermore, We all need a Mentor: "It’s the origin story of good guidance and coaching. Treat people as capable, show them the way, but don’t pave the path for them. A good coach or mentor helps move them towards independence, not dependence. They lend belief long enough for the athlete, student, or young leader to build their own." Asking for feedback/guidance is a sign of strength. Look for it, respond to it, engage in it. And in the meantime, mentor someone else too.

One more -- Define Success Well: "The external is always tempting. The awards, accolades, status, and notoriety seem like they are the ultimate prize. Even now, we sacrifice so much for it. But in Homer’s epics, the hero of the Iliad who wanted to be remembered meets the man who just wants to return home intact, and the former is saying love is more important than glory." In short, what does success mean to you? In the process of building your career the only two constants are you and change. Are you in the job or even the career you thought you'd have 10 years ago? What do you want to have happen? Remember, you can't make it happen until you begin to understand your definition of success.

The final part of their post is the part that should stay with you:

Living life, pursuing goals, performing is messy. Odysseus himself is a flawed human being. But that line gets at what is at the heart of performing in just about anything: flexibility and adaptability. It’s what all great competitors possess. The challenges that you face are vast and varied. And no solution or tactic works all the time. It’s flexibility, having a big toolbox of coping strategies, which separates those who can figure things out versus those who get stuck.

Ask us how you can help your cybersecurity team on its journey to excellence.

(image credit: Milet, Jacques (France), auteur du texte, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)