Intelligent CISO Issue 31 | Page 68

Keeping your workforce trained on current and cuttingedge technologies and developments will ensure the readiness of your team .
decrypting myths tasks and be the captain of the ship providing confidence and fostering a sense of community .
With that being said , domain-specific expertise is still important . In leading people with technical skills , they need to know that you have an understanding of the concepts before they will accept your vision and approach . In addition to evolving your leadership capabilities , you must dedicate attention to refining your technical skills .
Leaders aren ’ t simply created already fully formed . They are forged through deep experience and have two overruling characteristics : they are consistently selfaware , and always looking to improve their ability to lead well .
For technologists looking to become stronger leaders , or non-technologists seeking to lead better in cybersecurity , here are the five widely applicable principles that have guided me . It ’ s important to keep these in mind when you are handed a group of highperformers waiting to be led .
1 . Training and development : Upskill your workforce
The cybersecurity industry will continue to evolve at a rapid pace . Keeping your workforce trained on current and cutting-edge technologies and developments will ensure the readiness of your team and the individuals who might be ready to take on a wide variety of challenges outside of your team .
2 . Trust and respect : Bringing your team into the fold
Extraordinary talent is easily recognised by strong leaders . These individuals are normally highly regarded by others and quickly prove their value to the team . Once these professionals are identified , you can share your overarching strategy and vision with them and then let them run with it . These individuals rarely need intervention and direction . Once imbued
M . K . Palmore , VP , Field Chief Security Officer for Palo Alto Networks
with the strategic vision of the leader , they typically forge ahead and in return , bring a lot of value to the team .
Leaders can get hung up on legacy methods , but they shouldn ’ t . The worst thing you can do is impose your methods on someone else . You ’ ve achieved some level of success because your prior leaders trusted you to do what was needed to succeed . More often than not , you did just that . Don ’ t attempt to corral and stifle your employees . They are talented and capable . Their success will bring light and often a different perspective to the team ’ s vision .
3 . Perspective : Diversify your team
Diversity and inclusion is a hot topic . There has been countless studies and observations floating around about the lack of diversity in the technology and cybersecurity fields .
How many times have we seen sensationalised headlines of diversity hires only to see them leave an organisation after a year or two following a very public hire . We need to do better and simply get this right to instil longterm change .
There ’ s a saying in business circles : that which gets measured gets done . It ’ s time to apply this mantra to the hiring of a diverse workforce . The

Keeping your workforce trained on current and cuttingedge technologies and developments will ensure the readiness of your team .

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