“In my career, I’ve been very successful with the following: have a positive attitude especially under stress, assume best intent from people you’re engaging with, and always take the high road, especially when trying to collaborate on solutions,” he says. “Cheesy, but I’ve found it to be super effective across my super diverse business and mission career.”
Other effective skills are knowing how to read the room, keeping an open mind, and finding a good mentor. All these can help aspiring CISOs navigate uncertainty and build trust.
Show up like you deserve to be there
Aspiring CISOs must enter the room as leaders helping the business goals, not as obstacles standing in the way. “Show up in every room like you deserve to be there,” says LeMaire. “The more conversations you listen in to, the more you can ladder security goals to align with overall business objectives and also align with legal, business development, employee engagement, and other departments.”
