LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

In my INFOSEC Shop we have few rules, but the ones we have are iron clad:

(1.) No F.U.D., ever

(2.) If you don't have a business driver, then it's a Science Fair Project and we don't do that

(3.) If you can't take the time to refine your requirements, we have a problem

Everyone On the INFOSEC team is a customer service professional first, if the CISO can go to an employees desk to answer questions, you better believe you can too. Our customer service mindset is a non-negotiable condition of employment, if you can't live it, you won't be happy here, and I want my folks to be happy here.

It's no secret that I have a military background. Some would say that that has a downside in the Corporate Boardroom, I'm not sure that I agree. It teaches you how to lead people, NOT manage people. You can manage resources: budget; widgets; time, but not people. People are smart, they will allow themselves to be lead, by a leader that they respect. If they don't respect you, they will fight you, passive aggressive behaviors will set in and then comes entropy.

As a leader, you cannot be the sheepdog with your people, you need to be the wolf. If you have people that cannot be motivated, you need to cull the heard or the productive people will notice and know that you are weak and tolerant of non-performers.

Every non-performer makes the workload of each performer that much harder. Tolerating sub-par performance creates a poor work environment for your team.

Remember why, you, the leader were hired, to deliver RESULTS, not to molly coddle under achievers.

Granted, there is probably a seat for everyone at the great banquet table of life, that is any large Corporation. Let the under achievers migrate to, say, the HR Department?

Holy Cow! Did I say that out loud?!?!

REFERENCE MATERIAL:

An excellent book by a man who knows what it means to lead from the front, Mr. Kyle Lamb:   http://amzn.to/2yq8g6f

My all time favorite, and timeless reference on the Art of Leadership:  http://amzn.to/2xhIEbu