Episode 206: Trust and Influence as CISO Survival Skills
In episode 206 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson and Tony Sager speak with Julie Morris, Founder and Head of Thought Leadership at Persona Media, about why trust and influence have become survival skills for today's CISOs. Julie breaks down three types of organizational power, explains why the "good guys" resist the language of influence, and offers a practical starting point for anyone who's ever felt like PowerShell was the only power they understood.
Here are some highlights from our episode:
- 02:13. From old to new: A shift in how trust and influence factor into organizational structures
- 04:24. The three kinds of power in an organization: hard, soft, and network
- 09:59. Wise advice: Build your personal and professional network first
- 11:07. How influence multiplies confidence with network power
- 12:03. Inertia, fear, and status quo: overcoming the emotional reactions that oppose change
- 18:12. How Sean uses the power of "slow down," not "no," to support AI transformation
- 20:49. Why good thought leadership starts with empathy and self awareness
- 24:32. Building organizational processes that "trigger" a change in CISOs' trust and influence
- 26:30. Hugging Face as an example of how triggering moments become lessons
- 27:42. What Tony Soprano has to do with measuring trust and influence
- 30:47. Reality check: Every information gap gets filled one way or another
- 32:15. The power of community and shared ideas in figuring out thought leadership together
- 36:09: Advice: Be in the "river" of your network to go where you want to go
- 37:34: How understanding of shared values helps to overcome imposter's syndrome
Resources
- CIS Critical Security Controls®
- Episode 183: The Role of CISO in Supporting Risk Translation
- Episode 187: The Role of a CISO as a Strategic Storyteller
- Episode 192: How Leaders Balance Expertise and Communication
- Episode 199: Translating Cyber Risk into Business Decisions
- The Myth of Mythos: What It Means For Information Security
- Episode 202: Delineating AI Security and Cybersecurity
If you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing [email protected].
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