10 Signs, 4 Horsemen, and 3 Ways to Control Your Career – BSW #259

Quick… what's a dirty little secret that most people would not want aired publicly? No… this is a business-related blog, try again. If you answered, "We were hacked, and it took our systems down long enough to impact our operations and those of our customers," you'd be in good company.

So how can organizations know and appreciate when they have a strong security leader in place? Here are the top 10 signs. 1. Strategic thinking and planning 2. Slow and steady wins the race 3. Everything is well-documented 4. Actions speak louder than words 5. Excellent communication skills 6. Nurtures and promotes talent 7. Selflessness 8. Makes decisions in a timely manner 9. Answers any questions directly 10. Gives credit

CISOs should revisit organizational structure as part of their overall strategic plans and after big shifts in enterprise needs. But experts warn that reorganizing alone isn’t a recipe for success.

Below are some traits in toxic leaders. - Dishonesty: Lying is usually a major sign that you can’t trust your leader. - Arrogance: Nothing says toxic leadership like arrogance. - Manipulation: Manipulation is a crucial trait of a toxic leader. - Incompetence: When leaders exhibit incompetence, they fail to meet their responsibilities to the company and to their people.

How do leaders persuade people to do things they would rather not do? The author outlines two very different persuasive techniques based on social science: the “foot-in-the-door” technique and the “door-in-the-face” technique. Each of these techniques can work in the right situation, although neither of them translates perfectly from the ivory-tower world of social-science research into the messy realities of organizational life. But both techniques can help leaders reflect the hard work of making big change, and what is required to get beyond what management theorists like to call “active inertia” — the tendency for people and organizations to seek comfort in the old ways of doing things, even (or especially) when the world around them is changing dramatically.

Here are some key things to keep in mind as you evaluate avenues to take control of your cyber security career in 2022: - Practical experience outweighs formal training - Apprenticeships aren’t the only avenue for career growth - Choose fellowships and boot camps that align with your learning goals