Is a CISO Your Job Title or Your Identity?

On this episode of Life of a CISO, Dr. Eric Cole poses the question, “Is being a CISO your identity”?

To have the mindset that you are a world-class CISO, you must see yourself as a world-class CISO.

You have to view everything you do through the lens of a CISO if you want to make decisions that will lead you to succeed as one.

Join Dr. Cole to learn about what that perspective change looks like for your life and career.

In this episode:

0:29 What is the right mindset?
0:53 A switch in your identity
1:52 Having core technical knowledge is important
2:50 …But it’s not your identity when you become a CISO
3:52 To become a world class CISO, you must give up your identity as a security engineer
5:14 The good news is that a CISO is a sought-after position
5:36 Are you happy, are you living your purpose?
6:35 Do you want to identify yourself as a strategic business leader?
7:10 There is nothing wrong with being a world class security engineer
7:45 The switch happened about 3 years ago
10:03 If disaster strikes, do you think like an engineer or a CISO?
12:59 It’s not good or bad or right or wrong
14:30 Identity and confidence
15:51 The longer you do something, the stronger that identity becomes
16:37 You must be enjoying yourself
17:30 Make sure you are clear on your identity
18:00 What is the business that your organisation is really in?
18:33 The McDonald’s example
19:27 McDonald’s isn’t selling hamburgers, they are in the logistics business
21:30 If cybersecurity negatively affects the business, it is wrong
22:32 A hospital chain kept burning out CISOs. Here is why.
23:47 This hospital’s real business: timely quality service.
24:29 …But CISOs wanted to add security that slowed everything down
26:30 Pop quiz
28:00 Wrap up