Tim Wenzel, Associate Managing Director of ESRM, Kroll and the Creator of The Kindness Games describes the mindset that leaders in security need to adopt for success.
My dad was an old farmer and he would look to the sky each night.
He would tell us: “Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.”
The idea was to be aware of the signs around you.
As dawn breaks on 2024, the sky is red and it’s no secret.
It’s no secret that we will see increased political and economic instability in the world.
It’s no secret that our communities are ready to boil over in an instant.
It’s no secret that organizations of all types are dealing with an onslaught of economic, political and social pressure like never before.
Security leaders need to become prominent thought leaders within their organizations.
Gone are the days of hoping we will not be impacted. It’s time we stepped into the limelight.
The most common gap I see in security departments across all industries in all global markets is the lack of formal organizational structure.
Security departments generally do not have a formalized risk management methodology and neither do most of the businesses they serve.
Security leaders who go to their top five corporate risk stakeholders to facilitate a conversation will immediately gain some relevance.
Finance, legal, HR, operations and compliance would all welcome a meeting series entitled: “Help me understand your top five to ten risks, so I can try to help.”
The fastest way to begin to lead in a more prominent way is to ask these questions and gain a coalition of stakeholders around the most pressing organizational issues that security is equipped to help with.
What geo-political issues would destabilize major markets or operations?
What could we do right now to create clarity around these situations and plan actions that push our organization toward our goals during times of trouble?
Threats don’t only come from outside and these days, the biggest insider threat can sometimes be the business itself.
Lead uncomfortable conversations.
What social and political issues are causing scandals elsewhere that could easily happen to your organization?
Discuss current events and dive into the potential impacts your organization would suffer if similar events were to befall them.
What things does your organization do that is actually causing stress and discontent with employees?
Is there a way to improve or mitigate these negative outcomes?
Are we able to measure the stress and discontent that is being caused?
Security leaders who lead and engage in these conversations may learn about risks, threat scenarios and plans that the business is aware of and you weren’t.
You may learn there is a lot of uncertainty that you can help with.
In 2024, security leaders who actively engage their organizations in this manner will create better relationships, be seen as more relevant and lead departments who are more aligned with the needs of the business than their counterparts who continue to hope that they will not be impacted by the stormy skies we see before us.
Tim Wenzel is Associate Managing Director of ESRM at Kroll and the Creator of The Kindness Games.
He is a global security executive with a passion to transform the existing paradigms of leadership, risk management and team building.
This article was originally published in the Special February Influencers Edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.