A Leadership Journey: Part 1/n

Introduction

The world needs more leaders now more than ever. I serve a diverse, global, high-performing organization at a Fortune 100. Every person in my organization is a leader and I am blessed to serve them each day (team, if you are reading this…thank you! I love serving you and our mission. You inspire and motivate me each day!). Yes, everyone is a leader. YOU are a leader!

I also coach a football team where leadership is a core principle that I am teaching my players….not just Xs & Os of American football. Next, I also mentor the next generation of cybersecurity and Digital Forensic & Incident Response (DFIR) professionals. I love sharing my journey and the knowledge I have learned along the way to my mentees. I could not be more excited about the next generation of DFIR professionals. These are just several ways that I show up and look for ways to lead each day.

What is leadership?

First, let’s define leadership. Simply put, it’s a shared set of responsibilities individuals have to each other with a shared mission. Leadership is about adding value and bringing one’s strength to fill a gap, or need amongst individual(s). Think about it…the best teams in the world are collaborative, maintain high trust, and build each other up. This translates into a contagious, forward-thinking culture. As a leader of leaders, there are opportunities everyday to lean in and lead. I am at my best when I am removing obstacles for my team and allowing them to collaborate, innovate, and solve the most challenging problems. What are you doing each day to grow as a leader? Leadership requires growth, nurturing, and yes it even can be a contact sport. It requires personal humility coupled with strong professional will with the continuous desire to improve and learn from successes and missed opportunities. Spend time looking for opportunities to lean in and serve people where you share a joint mission. The world needs more servant leaders in every, single walk of life.

Focus on Opportunities

There are opportunities for every person with a beating heart to lead each day. The world (remember, we view the world in our own paradigm) needs more leaders who are unafraid to lead without a title.

When I am not leading the best DFIR organization on the planet, I enjoy coaching football, flying, and looking for opportunities to serve. I don’t spend much time on social media; however, I do spend my time reading and taking leadership reps to build this muscle. If you want to grow pick up a book and read. Daily, focused attention executed consistently over time will yield outstanding results (I promise). Get comfortable being uncomfortable if you want to grow!! You have to build your leadership muscle each day. Remember, when you are closest to a fear…you ARE growing. Don’t let your brain tell you otherwise…listen to your heart. I challenge my readers to look for daily opportunities to serve. This world is full of opportunities…now get after it and share your story!!

In the next blog post, I will further define what our responsibilities are to each other and peel back some of the finer details I’ve learned along the way.