The CISO Mentor

with them. Don’t be that leader that is too busy to see their direct
reports.
3. Be Persistent! Expect failures – they will happen. When
failures happen, reflect on why and do better next time. This will
require a great deal of personal integrity as you self-reflect as well as
when you discuss the circumstances with your team and leadership.
4. Accept the Challenge! Many times, as a leader, I’ve asked
someone to tackle a tough problem. I don’t just need someone to
help me (Spoiler Alert: I don’t know the answer either!), I also want
to discover who my leaders are. I know that no one knows exactly
how to tackle the challenge I laid out, but I do know we can achieve
it together. I am looking for those leaders who can say, “I don’t
know how to do this now, but I’ll figure it out.” Most of my career
successes have started out as, “I have no idea how to do this.” As
you tackle that challenge, you’ll grow as a leader, eventually
building a very strong brand of someone who can lead through
challenging times.
5. Communicate! Those under your charge as well as those you
report to want to know what’s on your mind. Explain your goals and
reasons (“The Why”) for actions. As you do so, you’ll build a team
that is able to become more and more effective in achieving
organizational objectives because everyone is aligned to a common
cause.
6. Challenge Respectfully. As a leader, the times that I’m most
worried are when no one challenges plans. I know that plans are
rarely correct, especially the first time written. I value and reward
those that will respectfully challenge and then work to create an
even better plan.
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