CIOopinion
observations floating around about the
lack of diversity in the technology and
cybersecurity fields. How many times
have we seen sensationalised headlines
of diversity hires only to see them leave
an organisation after a year or two
following a very public hire. We need to
do better and simply get this right to
instil long-term change.
There’s a saying in business circles:
that which gets measured gets done.
It’s time to apply this mantra to the
hiring of a diverse workforce. The
evolving intricacy of cybersecurity
demands that we create a workforce
highly skilled, capable and ready to
tackle future challenges.
A diverse team means you’ll have
diverse ideas and approaches to
tackling the wide swathe of both
present and future challenges.
4. Communication: Engage with your
team on a regular basis
Communication has always served
as the lifeblood of team connectivity.
Now more than ever, staying in touch
with people and simply being available
is really the most important thing
you can be doing. It shouldn’t take
a crisis to increase the amount of
communication we do with our teams.
If you are not speaking to your teams
on a weekly or bi-weekly basis in the
current environment, then you are not
engaging enough and likely not
in touch.
5. Professional growth: Prepare your
team for your eventual departure
One of the principles drilled into me
early on was that one of the best
things you can do shortly after
your arrival is to begin preparing
your team for your eventual departure.
It’s counter-intuitive but serves
your team in the best way possible
by taking on the multi-disciplinary
role of both leader and teacher. It
can be done, especially as you begin
to see members of your team clearly
show their potential for future
leadership opportunities.
While these five principles will not cover
all of your bases, they are a great place
to start. Being a student of leadership
means constantly sharpening your
tools. What are you waiting for? Go
out into the world and become a
stronger leader! •
“
THAT WHICH
GETS MEASURED
GETS DONE.
IT’S TIME TO
APPLY THIS
MANTRA TO THE
HIRING OF A
DIVERSE
WORKFORCE.
48 INTELLIGENTCIO www.intelligentcio.com