Leadership & Mindset
CISOs are stressed and I can prove it
Not a week goes by without some data breach, leak, hack, attack or other significant cybersecurity failures that spills all over blogs and even national media. Five years ago, only avant-garde companies invested in cybersecurity; today, it has become a must. Companies realize the importance of a solid cybersecurity plan built on the People, Process and Technology pillars. One topic rarely discussed by corporate executives or security leaders is the incredible (and growing) stress the current environment inflicts on CISOs.
It's time to evaluate your company
As we pass to the second half of the year, many companies start their annual merit review cycle. It is an opportunity for your leaders to evaluate the corpus of your work and determine how much value you delivered to the company (thus deserving a salary adjustment). What employees often forget is that they too should use this period as an opportunity to determine if they are doing the right job, in the right company & at the right compensation level.
What makes a good Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)
Only five years ago, the title of Chief Information Security Officer was likely awarded to an employee that had worked hard and was dedicated to the company. It was an honorific title often given as a reward. Times have changed and companies need a new breed of CISO. The number, severity, and impacts of cyber threats are continually increasing. Companies now rely on complex highly integrated IT systems whose confidentiality, availability and integrity are paramount. The WannaCry ransomware was a good example of how poorly managed security can cripple an organization.
Secret to a 3 minute better you
Why continuous improvement is important Companies have competitors, but so do employees. There are others that can do your job, the questions is who can do it better. Continuous development through education (formal and informal) is the only way to keep and and hopefully move ahead. Moving ahead means you gain unique differentiating qualities that hopefully will lead to promotions, better compensation and maybe lead to the job you've been dreaming of. By improving who you are, you gain the ability to deliver better services to clients, your company, colleagues and friends.
9 most important questions to determine if a project is worthwhile
George H Heilmeier was a DARPA director and developed 9 questions to help the agency determine the worthiness of project being submitted to it for funding. These 9 powerful questions as referred to as the "Heilmeier Catechism" and have become a core operating paradigm for DARPA [Defense Advance Research Projects Activity] And IARPA [Intelligence Advance Research Project Activity]. These questions are so powerful, they are used in the business world day in and day out. I first learned about these questions while having lunch with a VC in San Francisco.
Colin Powell quote about success
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. #quote #business #leadership
Stop using Self-Assessments in performance reviews
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“1600”] Image by David Davies used under Creative Commons License [/caption] Research has shown that people can rarely self-assessment accurately. If the person self-assessing has low self-confidence, than this will be reflected on his/her self assessment. Also there are cultures where self promotion is negatively viewed and this too may lead someone to completing a less than positive self review. Lots of characteristics may impact how one self-assesses: race, gender, beliefs, religion, etc. On the other side of the coin are individuals raised in competitive environments where self-promotion is not only welcome but encouraged.
How to thrive under pressure
Your body is a miraculous creation that is able to quickly adapt to different situations often without you even realizing it. When working in pressure situation, your body reacts by making physiological changes [for the worst] that also impact how you think. Truth is pressure is the new normal and you must learn to deal with it or it will crush you. Here are simple steps to help you conquer any pressure situation: Be in the moment As an IT professional, I have seen the effect of extreme pressure on experts handling large and complex IT outages or security incidents.
Quote about new day
[caption id="" align=“alignnone” width=“2048”] It’s a new day, make it great [/caption]