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For CISOs Who Want to Leave a Lasting Legacy, Take This Advice from William Shakespeare

by Laureen Smith on October 14, 2019

It’s human nature to model the behavior of those we admire. We dress like them, copy their mannerisms, and subscribe to their philosophies. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But does buying the same basketball shoes as Steph Curry make us play basketball as good as he does? Not a chance. Will we sell 500 million books if we adopt the same writing routine as J.K. Rowling? Don’t hold your breath. We’re all unique. Pretending to be someone else never works in the long-term. If you’re a CISO, your success is dependent upon your ability to earn people’s trust and convince them your vision is the right vision for the organization. But it must be your vision. Sure, your vision must be aligned with management’s, but how you execute upon that vision is up to you. If it’s somebody else’s vision, you’ll struggle to get buy in. It’s imperative therefore to be your authentic self. This is how a successful CISO makes a mark on an organization and charts a path for a long, successful career. As William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “to thine own self be true.”

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I recently sat down with Jake Margolis, CISO for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to explore the challenges he deals with on a daily basis and the lessons he’s learned in his role. In this video, Jake shares a valuable piece of advice for new CISOs.

CISO Perspectives is a complimentary resource for cybersecurity professionals featuring insightful viewpoints, best practices, and sage career advice from a cross section of CISOs. These videos and blogs are proudly offered by Accellion, the leader in secure email and secure file sharing for mitigating third party cyber risk.