Boardroom Off The Hook, But CISOs Need to Adapt to Take the Heat – BSW #314

The SEC just released long awaited final rules on their cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance proposals. While transformational in some respects, the SEC basically let the boardroom largely slip off the hook for cybersecurity governance accountability...for now.

With change happening faster than ever before, tools can help bridge capability gaps, along with accelerated workforce training, but CISOs first must learn to embrace change.

Corporate boards are actively searching for CISOs who demonstrate technical expertise, but who also possess strong leadership skills, can communicate complex concepts to stakeholders, and who can align risk management, cyber security and overarching business strategies.

However, there is “high demand and low readiness level as it relates to CISOs’ abilities to smoothly transition to the board room,” according to the Pfister Strategy Group. In this article, we’ll provide valuable insight into fundamental strategies that can help CISOs build strong foundations for board participation.

Everyone benefits — the CISO, the company, and the insurer — when CISOs are included in arranging cyber insurance.

The idea of servant leadership — putting your team’s needs ahead of your own — brought us to a more compassionate, human-centered work environment. But in today’s environment, it’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, the authors suggest a more impact-driven philosophy called “noble-purpose leadership,” that ties leaders and teammates to the pursuit of a shared goal that positively impacts constituents. In servant leadership, the message is: You’re in your role to serve others, making it tempting to focus on pleasing others and difficult to say no. In noble-purpose leadership, the message is: You’re in your role to make an impact. This requires more strategic thinking in terms of where to place your efforts. The authors offer three areas where managers can shift their lens to noble-purpose leadership.

The right questions to ask to ensure productive meetings:

1. Why do you need the meeting?
2. What does success look like for the meeting?
3. Where is the best place for the meeting to take place?
4. Which type of meeting will create the right outcome?
5. Whom do you need at the meeting?
6. How should you best run the meeting?
7. When should the meeting take place, and for how long?