The talk calls on security leaders to shift the lens: less fear, more leadership and business value. Fear mobilizes in the short term, but it does not build resilience or trust. The key is clear communication, solid foundations, and a culture in which people understand why, not just that they have to.
Why fear won’t keep an organization moving
Fear is an evolutionarily powerful emotion and, during an incident, can get the whole management moving for a time. This enthusiasm, however, usually lasts only a few months and fades unless “I must” turns into an internal “I need.” The speaker also reminds us of the oft-cited fact that most failures have a human cause, which can be exploited for intimidation—but in the long run it wears the organization out. Sustainable change comes only when people understand the risk, feel responsible, and receive clear, understandable communication instead of pressure.
Security as an engine of value: leadership, foundations, and business
The difference between a manager and a leader is fundamental: a manager manages resources, a leader shows the direction and leads from the front. Part of a security leader’s job also includes “soft” skills—the courage to step out of the comfort zone, to speak simply and objectively, and to bear the risk of being unpopular. Solid foundations are key as well: asset visibility, patching, identity and access management, and multi-factor authentication. Technologies without these pillars and without culture turn into expensive yet ineffective solutions.
Security cannot be seen only as an indirect cost that burdens OPEX. A study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, which the speaker cites, states that roughly two thirds of board members see security as a source of competitive advantage and mature organizations achieve revenue growth of up to 43 % over a five-year horizon. The secret is a shift from “we do it for security” to “we do it for customer value and experience” and building culture according to “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs” – from basic needs to growth and innovation. When the mindset is set right, resilience is sustainable and security becomes an engine of growth, not a brake.
