Innovation. It’s the buzzword of our time, paraded in corporate boardrooms, academic symposia, and military briefings. Everyone claims to be “thinking outside the box.” Yet, in practice, these institutions — academia, the military, and corporate America — are expert gatekeepers…
Category: Leadership
The Perils of Mediocrity as a Goal
About 30 years ago, I cut an article out of a newspaper. Yes, there used to be these things called newspapers—physical sheets of paper with stories and articles printed on them. The ink, often slightly rubbery, would smudge your fingers,…
Understanding the Role of the CISO in Corporate Leadership
The CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) plays a critical role in modern corporate leadership, particularly in navigating the complexities of cybersecurity. The debate around the reporting structure for CISOs—who they should report to and how their role should be defined—remains…
Trippy hippy parents and life on a boat
The day I decided to leave it all behind was surprisingly ordinary, yet it was the culmination of a journey that had taken me through various experiences. The usual hum of office chatter, the fluorescent lights that never seemed to…
It’s so easy to never go
May I impart some unsolicited advice, from one adventurer to another? Land, with its comforting solidity, holds a captivating grip on the soul. Within its embrace dwell the three queens: fear, remorse, and guilt. They lurk in the shadows, ready…
Gen x’d lessons of DGAS and DILLIGAF
I was reflecting on leaders I’ve had and how they have impacted me over time. Whether it is the guy who ran the gas station, who told me he hired me as a joke that he could hold over my…
Marine Corps Birthday and Veterans Day
The pressure builds in your gut. You can feel it working up towards your chest while the air inside you is pressed out. Many guys spray the rancid remains of their last few meals about this time. The ear-splitting sonic…
CISO Presenting to the Board: Some suggestions for a deck
Presenting cybersecurity information to a board of directors can be daunting, especially for new Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). With board members often focusing on governance, compliance, and risk management, crafting a clear, concise, and informative presentation is crucial. In…
Extreme high-wealth individuals blinded by their light
When extreme high-wealth individuals reframe negative consequences of their poor decisions, it can create a departure from reality and exacerbate the consequences themselves. In some ways this is the Wiley Coyote phenomenon of standing under the falling anvil hoping the…
High-tech lay offs as an indicator of future tech companies demise or failure
In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of high tech, companies often experience fluctuations in their workforce due to various factors. One such phenomenon is the occurrence of cyclical high-tech layoffs, which can serve as a potential indicator of the future…
F.U.D and loyalty
Change is always difficult because the fear of the unknown, uncertainty, and doubt of outcomes is a hard wired trait of humans. If people were trusting there would be no conservative party, the republicans would not exist, and likely chaos…
When darkness becomes light
When I was in high school. I wore a leather jacket and engineer boots. Pretty normal for a pacific north west high school student. I drove a 65 mustang and knew how to use it. One night I came across…
Who should the CISO report to: Maybe the title is the issue
Consistently I see the principle questioned about to whom a CISO should report. The CISO role in most companies was modeled after federal regulation. In the original federal government FISMA legislation, the CISO was set to report to the CIO…
Get your pandemic inflated posterior back into the office
A sunset glint off hot pavement shimmer off the workforce of the future could be a mirage or early indications of disruption. CEO’s asserting you won’t get New York wages if you aren’t working in New York and like a…
A Story About Budgets
During the US federal government’s sequestration process, I worked with several Generals at the Pentagon who were tasked with making significant budget cuts. One particular command was directed to cut 10% from its budget and report the impact using the…