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Category

# Leadership

Building, hiring, and retaining teams that perform under pressure.

56 posts

-   [
    
    ![Beliefs, Principles, and Values](/blog/beliefs-principles-values-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 25, 2026
    
    ## Beliefs, Principles, and Values
    
    Most companies print one-word values on a wall and change nothing. Beliefs, principles, and values are three layers. Here is how they stack, using Blue Goat Cyber's.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/beliefs-principles-and-values)
-   [
    
    ![Mission vs Vision vs Purpose](/blog/mission-vision-purpose-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 25, 2026
    
    ## Mission vs Vision vs Purpose
    
    Most company About pages use mission, vision, and purpose as synonyms. They answer three different questions. Here is the difference, and Blue Goat Cyber's three.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/mission-vs-vision-vs-purpose)
-   [
    
    ![Get To Versus Have To](/blog/get-to-versus-have-to-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 25, 2026
    
    ## Get To Versus Have To
    
    My CTO at Alpine Security refused to say "I have to." It sounded like word games until I understood it was an identity swap, not a mood trick.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/get-to-versus-have-to)
-   [
    
    ![The Primary Question That Shapes Your Life](/blog/the-primary-question-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 25, 2026
    
    ## The Primary Question That Shapes Your Life
    
    Tony Robbins says every one of us runs a single unconscious question on repeat, and it shapes identity more than any goal or plan. Here is mine, and how I changed it.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-primary-question-that-shapes-your-life)
-   [
    
    ![The Epiphany Bridge, Applied: How I Sell Medical Device Cybersecurity And How I Lead](/__l5e/assets-v1/f2e27ae3-d90f-4d0c-9ede-361e1db6ab5b/epiphany-bridge-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 25, 2026
    
    ## The Epiphany Bridge, Applied: How I Sell Medical Device Cybersecurity And How I Lead
    
    Russell Brunson's epiphany bridge is the reason most pitches and most leadership advice fail. Here is how I use it at Blue Goat Cyber, and how it changes the way I lead.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-epiphany-bridge-blue-goat-cyber-and-leadership)
-   [
    
    ![Fight For Your Limitations And You Get To Keep Them](/blog/fight-for-your-limitations-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 24, 2026
    
    ## Fight For Your Limitations And You Get To Keep Them
    
    Richard Bach wrote that if you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them. Here is why the defense is the mechanism, and how to stop being the lawyer for your own ceiling.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/fight-for-your-limitations-and-you-get-to-keep-them)
-   [
    
    ![The Importance Of Unlearning](/blog/the-importance-of-unlearning-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 24, 2026
    
    ## The Importance Of Unlearning
    
    The reason most leaders plateau is not that they stopped learning. It is that they never unlearned the belief that got them to the current ceiling.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-importance-of-unlearning)
-   [
    
    ![Principle Over Peace: What It Actually Costs To Stand On A Decision](/blog/principle-over-peace-hero.jpg)
    
    Jul 24, 2026
    
    ## Principle Over Peace: What It Actually Costs To Stand On A Decision
    
    Principle over peace is not righteousness, not scorched earth, and not free. It is the willingness to cool a bridge you could have kept warm, and pay the friction on purpose.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/principle-over-peace)
-   [
    
    !["Stepping Into Your Power" Is A Phrase. Here's What It Actually Means.](/__l5e/assets-v1/7c257d93-4908-4c3a-a152-6a000b79d05d/stepping-into-your-power-what-it-actually-means-hero.webp)
    
    Jul 23, 2026
    
    ## "Stepping Into Your Power" Is A Phrase. Here's What It Actually Means.
    
    Stepping into your power is not a feeling you summon, a morning routine, or the volume of your voice. It is the willingness to make a costly decision and stand behind it in public.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/stepping-into-your-power-what-it-actually-means)
-   [
    
    ![You Can't Want It More Than They Do](/__l5e/assets-v1/13fb700f-d5d3-41b9-8817-78ca04d10a25/track-sunrise-stopwatch.jpg)
    
    Jul 23, 2026
    
    ## You Can't Want It More Than They Do
    
    Richard Bach wrote, 'argue for your limitations and they're yours.' The leadership version is harder: you can offer the door, name what you see, and still respect their answer.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/you-cant-want-it-more-than-they-do)
-   [
    
    ![98% Desire, 2% Ambition: Is Russell Brunson Right?](/__l5e/assets-v1/42d1e249-8aac-40c4-9c04-8f95b8d97e9f/grand-canyon-headlamp.jpg)
    
    Jul 20, 2026
    
    ## 98% Desire, 2% Ambition: Is Russell Brunson Right?
    
    Russell Brunson says 98% of people have desire and only 2% have the ambition to back it up. Is the number real? And what does it actually mean on a Tuesday in February?
    
    
    
    ](/blog/desire-vs-ambition-the-2-percent-question)
-   [
    
    ![Neurodivergent in Tech: Do You Still Have to Learn EQ?](/__l5e/assets-v1/04282423-5f18-4116-a15e-c1b65016414d/neurodivergent-eq-tech-hero.jpg)
    
    Jun 26, 2026
    
    ## Neurodivergent in Tech: Do You Still Have to Learn EQ?
    
    High tech rewards deep focus and punishes the communication gap. Why neurodivergent, neurotypical, and mixed teams all have to learn EQ, and what that actually looks like.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/neurodivergent-neurotypical-eq-high-tech)
-   [
    
    ![Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast](/__l5e/assets-v1/eac719c3-baa9-44b4-9e10-e8cce5e66da6/slow-is-smooth-and-smooth-is-fast-hero.webp)
    
    Jun 24, 2026
    
    ## Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast
    
    The same lesson shows up in F4 racing, Ironman, leadership, and bringing a product to market: the fastest people are not rushing; they are smooth.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/slow-is-smooth-and-smooth-is-fast)
-   [
    
    ![The Circumstance Will Lie To You](/__l5e/assets-v1/44c7cf92-cd70-47c3-94e2-c5378badb4d2/ironman-kona-shaka-vision.jpg)
    
    Jun 23, 2026
    
    ## The Circumstance Will Lie To You
    
    Mile 18 of an Ironman taught me something that carried straight into building Blue Goat: a bad moment is weather, not a verdict. Hold the vision, walk through it, finish what you started.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-circumstance-will-lie-to-you)
-   [
    
    ![Wet Tires At COTA: When The Conditions Change](/__l5e/assets-v1/0e45e1f0-a01d-454a-ba0d-11557096a27b/wet-tires-at-cota-when-the-conditions-change-hero.webp)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## Wet Tires At COTA: When The Conditions Change
    
    Day two of Skip Barber Advanced Formula Car at COTA. Frost on the track, wet tires, and a lesson that applies on the circuit, in leadership, and in cybersecurity: stop forcing the original plan and read the conditions for what they are.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/wet-tires-at-cota-when-the-conditions-change)
-   [
    
    ![No Wasted Years, No Wasted Cycles](/__l5e/assets-v1/58f29684-59a9-4b7b-980f-381d072726d2/wasted-years-shadow-horns.jpg)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## No Wasted Years, No Wasted Cycles
    
    Jet lag, heavy metal, and the founder question that survives every time zone: what's worth it? Why most MedTech cybersecurity pain comes from waiting, and what Iron Maiden's Wasted Years has to do with building it right early.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/no-wasted-years-no-wasted-cycles)
-   [
    
    ![Fade To Black And The Loneliness Of Leadership](/__l5e/assets-v1/d55ec54a-c051-46ee-8e8a-cba329178f28/ironman-kona-finish-line.jpg)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## Fade To Black And The Loneliness Of Leadership
    
    Nothing's wrong with my marriage. Blue Goat Cyber is scaling fast. And still, leadership is lonely in ways the org chart doesn't show. Naming what most founders won't say out loud, and why honesty is part of the job.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/fade-to-black-and-the-loneliness-of-leadership)
-   [
    
    ![Speed Is Easy. Control Is Hard.](/__l5e/assets-v1/bb8f4aee-8157-431f-836d-e95b8f84d106/speed-is-easy-control-is-hard-hero.webp)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## Speed Is Easy. Control Is Hard.
    
    Three days of Formula 4 with Skip Barber at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Top speed near 185 kph, but the lesson wasn't the number. It was how long you can stay near it without losing control. The same principle runs racing, business, and life.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/speed-is-easy-control-is-hard)
-   [
    
    ![Eternal Optimism Is A Curse. Informed Optimism Is A Blessing.](/__l5e/assets-v1/229fa111-68c5-4b4b-9fa5-0f2886942f5a/eternal-optimism-is-a-curse-informed-optimism-is-a-blessing-hero.webp)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## Eternal Optimism Is A Curse. Informed Optimism Is A Blessing.
    
    The leader who says 'we've never had an issue, so we're fine' isn't optimistic, they're asleep. The difference between hope and awareness, and why one keeps you ready while the other keeps you comfortable until the bad news hits.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/eternal-optimism-is-a-curse-informed-optimism-is-a-blessing)
-   [
    
    ![Founder-CEO vs Hired CEO: The Difference Is Personal](/__l5e/assets-v1/a92a9a00-6821-4eb0-a24c-143bc971b2bb/founder-ceo-medtech-verge.jpg)
    
    Jun 22, 2026
    
    ## Founder-CEO vs Hired CEO: The Difference Is Personal
    
    I've been both, a founder who built and sold a company, and a founder watching a non-founder CEO take the wheel. Why founder-CEO and professional CEO are not the same job, and why Blue Goat Cyber is built the way it is.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/founder-ceo-vs-hired-ceo-the-difference-is-personal)
-   [
    
    ![The Hard Part Is The Bar, Not The Fall](/__l5e/assets-v1/ebea235d-cc53-4e63-a96a-54109e65a50d/inverted-biplane-bar.jpg)
    
    Jun 21, 2026
    
    ## The Hard Part Is The Bar, Not The Fall
    
    Hanging off an inverted biplane at the World Free Fall Convention taught me something about leadership: the falling is easy. The bar is what costs you.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-hard-part-is-the-bar-not-the-fall)
-   [
    
    ![Check Your Grip: What Top Gun Still Teaches Me About Leadership](/__l5e/assets-v1/ac279a15-b426-4821-bc91-7c9bd8679c9a/check-your-grip-cockpit.jpg)
    
    Jun 21, 2026
    
    ## Check Your Grip: What Top Gun Still Teaches Me About Leadership
    
    Top Gun sent me to the Air Force Academy and shaped how I think about leading under pressure. Thirty years later, the lesson I keep coming back to is about grip, and when to loosen it.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/check-your-grip-what-top-gun-still-teaches-me-about-leadership)
-   [
    
    ![What Ozzy and Zakk Taught Me About Not Getting Sanded Down](/__l5e/assets-v1/39881e6e-a29a-424a-ab26-57d70a01c83d/ozzy-zakk.jpg)
    
    Jun 21, 2026
    
    ## What Ozzy and Zakk Taught Me About Not Getting Sanded Down
    
    Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde got me through the dark stretches and shaped who I am. The lesson, in music and in leadership, is to stop sanding down the edges that make you you.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/what-ozzy-and-zakk-taught-me-about-not-getting-sanded-down)
-   [
    
    ![Reflection Is Part of the Messy and Uncomfortable Growth Process](/__l5e/assets-v1/d032d5c9-54bb-4e03-ba32-9e74d44a4ed1/dd3d12d27928.jpg)
    
    Aug 14, 2024
    
    ## Reflection Is Part of the Messy and Uncomfortable Growth Process
    
    If you want to grow and evolve as a human, it can be uncomfortable. If it weren’t, we’d all be a bit more aware and enlightened. What I’ve learned is that
    
    
    
    ](/blog/reflection-is-part-of-the-messy-and-uncomfortable-growth-process)
-   [
    
    ![How to Upskill Cybersecurity Job Candidates to Transform Them Into High-Performers and Excellent Communicators](/__l5e/assets-v1/4459de7b-7765-4dba-a89d-2fb813ebc104/how-to-upskill-cybersecurity-job-candidates-to-transform-them-into-high-performers-and-excellent-communicators-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 17, 2023
    
    ## How to Upskill Cybersecurity Job Candidates to Transform Them Into High-Performers and Excellent Communicators
    
    The cybersecurity workforce landscape is at a serious threat level. What you can do to ensure your data and networks remain under protection is to focus back on skills-based hiring.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/how-to-upskill-cybersecurity-job-candidates-to-transform-them-into-high-performers-and-excellent-communicators)
-   [
    
    ![The Red Flags to Pay Attention to in Your Cybersecurity Staff and How to Handle Them](/__l5e/assets-v1/eea8cbb4-bbf3-4553-9aff-1cc3a9bc22d3/fcb8b782128c.jpg)
    
    Jul 23, 2023
    
    ## The Red Flags to Pay Attention to in Your Cybersecurity Staff and How to Handle Them
    
    In this post, we discuss the red flags with your cybersecurity team and how best to handle them.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-red-flags-to-pay-attention-to-in-your-cybersecurity-staff-and-how-to-handle-them)
-   [
    
    ![Why Organizations Should Rethink What Cyber Leadership Means](/__l5e/assets-v1/e82e9665-97ab-477b-869e-5eb3293c3d30/why-organizations-should-rethink-what-cyber-leadership-means-hero.webp)
    
    Jul 23, 2023
    
    ## Why Organizations Should Rethink What Cyber Leadership Means
    
    In this post, we discuss the maturity and changes present in cybersecurity leadership, areas in need of attention, and how those leading these efforts can create a healthy and thriving culture.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/why-organizations-should-rethink-what-cyber-leadership-means)
-   [
    
    ![Is the Cybersecurity Skills Gap Fact or Fiction? It Depends on the Skills](/__l5e/assets-v1/a6fbaace-3e18-4344-9283-883e4a6a2738/5f0ba13ae418.jpg)
    
    Jul 17, 2023
    
    ## Is the Cybersecurity Skills Gap Fact or Fiction? It Depends on the Skills
    
    In this post, we dive into some data related to the cybersecurity skills gaps. Then, we’ll look at solutions to bridge it.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/is-the-cybersecurity-skills-gap-fact-or-fiction-it-depends-on-the-skills)
-   [
    
    ![Why Cybersecurity Deserves a Seat at the Leadership Table](/__l5e/assets-v1/0818a18c-3c6b-4f6e-a443-55822a510a86/ec2174cbea76.jpg)
    
    May 15, 2023
    
    ## Why Cybersecurity Deserves a Seat at the Leadership Table
    
    To combat cybersecurity threats and mitigate risk, an organization has to make cybersecurity a priority and a pillar.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/why-cybersecurity-deserves-a-seat-at-the-leadership-table)
-   [
    
    ![The Future of Cybersecurity: Innovations in Technology Still Not as Critical as People](/__l5e/assets-v1/71bc2bd5-d81d-42a8-b9a1-c9a2d5bab23f/the-future-of-cybersecurity-innovations-in-technology-still-not-as-critical-as-people-hero.webp)
    
    May 15, 2023
    
    ## The Future of Cybersecurity: Innovations in Technology Still Not as Critical as People
    
    Cyber professionals (people) have a greater weight than processes and technology on winning the cyberwar.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-future-of-cybersecurity-innovations-in-technology-still-not-as-critical-as-people)
-   [
    
    ![Reskilling and Upskilling Talent Can Help Shrink the Cybersecurity Skills Gap](/__l5e/assets-v1/05d6a135-e57b-468b-9a23-34622da6a78e/reskilling-and-upskilling-talent-can-help-shrink-the-cybersecurity-skills-gap-hero.webp)
    
    May 15, 2023
    
    ## Reskilling and Upskilling Talent Can Help Shrink the Cybersecurity Skills Gap
    
    This cycle of shortages and gaps will continue, leaving organizations with greater risk in cyber operations. Reskilling and upskilling talent can help.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/reskilling-and-upskilling-talent-can-help-shrink-the-cybersecurity-skills-gap)
-   [
    
    ![Burnout in Cybersecurity: Can You Prevent It?](/__l5e/assets-v1/80a3ac52-9fd4-4d5a-b099-e3fca8890c0e/burnout-in-cybersecurity-can-you-prevent-it-hero.webp)
    
    May 11, 2023
    
    ## Burnout in Cybersecurity: Can You Prevent It?
    
    Cybersecurity burnout is a troubling trend that impacts millions of people. According to the APA, 79% of workers reported work-related stress.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/burnout-in-cybersecurity-can-you-prevent-it)
-   [
    
    ![Do Different Industries Need Cyber Professionals to Have Unique Skills?](/__l5e/assets-v1/9f3160ce-957f-48fb-a922-aa78a98f2c0b/do-different-industries-need-cyber-professionals-to-have-unique-skills-hero.webp)
    
    Apr 13, 2023
    
    ## Do Different Industries Need Cyber Professionals to Have Unique Skills?
    
    In this post, I break down the unique skills cyber professionals need for specific industries and provide insight on how to support this development.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/do-different-industries-need-cyber-professionals-to-have-unique-skills)
-   [
    
    ![Cybersecurity Retention: How to Combat Turnover and Keep Employees Engaged](/__l5e/assets-v1/0ddb97a6-1206-4609-9afe-cba4ed59a09b/cybersecurity-retention-how-to-combat-turnover-and-keep-employees-engaged-hero.webp)
    
    Nov 14, 2022
    
    ## Cybersecurity Retention: How to Combat Turnover and Keep Employees Engaged
    
    Keeping your team consistent and proactive is hard if it’s a revolving door. So, what’s the key to cybersecurity retention?
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cybersecurity-retention-how-to-combat-turnover-and-keep-employees-engaged)
-   [
    
    ![How to Recruit and Hire Cybersecurity Professionals to Help You Win the Cybersecurity War](/__l5e/assets-v1/7f948c40-6bb7-4a1f-935e-1a672c007e34/how-to-recruit-and-hire-cybersecurity-professionals-to-help-you-win-the-cybersecurity-war-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 27, 2022
    
    ## How to Recruit and Hire Cybersecurity Professionals to Help You Win the Cybersecurity War
    
    Nearly every industry deals with labor shortage challenges due to the pandemic, the Great Resignation, and other factors. However, cybersecurity was already experiencing recruitment and retention problems.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/how-to-recruit-and-hire-cybersecurity-professionals-to-help-you-win-the-cybersecurity-war)
-   [
    
    ![Cybersecurity Is a Support Industry; What Happens When Organizations Forget That](/__l5e/assets-v1/da1df8c4-ae1a-4b63-a7f1-82548bee716e/baf2cc98a17c.jpg)
    
    Jul 21, 2022
    
    ## Cybersecurity Is a Support Industry; What Happens When Organizations Forget That
    
    Cybersecurity is a support industry. It wouldn’t exist without being part of other sectors, manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, etc.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cybersecurity-is-a-support-industry-what-happens-when-organizations-forget-that)
-   [
    
    ![5 People Skills Every Successful Cybersecurity Professional Possesses](/__l5e/assets-v1/f6769aec-0368-417a-a736-88afab37c5e4/5-people-skills-every-successful-cybersecurity-professional-possesses-hero.webp)
    
    Jul 21, 2022
    
    ## 5 People Skills Every Successful Cybersecurity Professional Possesses
    
    If cybersecurity were just a collection of robots, maybe the need for people skills wouldn’t exist. There’s always going to be a need for human intervention in the cybersecurity war.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/5-people-skills-every-successful-cybersecurity-professional-possesses)
-   [
    
    ![How To Avoid Hiring Paper Tigers](/__l5e/assets-v1/4667053b-53f6-4ce7-b5df-b71256c22d6d/df38ddd0eb7d.jpg)
    
    Jul 3, 2022
    
    ## How To Avoid Hiring Paper Tigers
    
    Paper tigers may be scarier than the real thing because they are killing the cybersecurity industry so you need to avoid hiring them.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/how-to-avoid-hiring-paper-tigers)
-   [
    
    ![Why Geeks Need EQ and Leadership Skills](/__l5e/assets-v1/51814c92-1b0c-457d-baac-628c5d91f112/why-geeks-need-eq-and-leadership-skills-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 16, 2021
    
    ## Why Geeks Need EQ and Leadership Skills
    
    Simply being smart won’t cut it - geeks also need leadership skills that can be derived from emotional intelligence.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/why-geeks-need-eq-and-leadership-skills)
-   [
    
    ![The Cybersecurity Gender Gap](/__l5e/assets-v1/103e1af2-4007-406f-b219-e20fd6fcbb4a/the-cybersecurity-gender-gap-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 4, 2021
    
    ## The Cybersecurity Gender Gap
    
    When it comes to the numbers of women in cybersecurity, we’ve got good news and bad news. The bottom line is we need more women in cybersecurity.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-cybersecurity-gender-gap)
-   [
    
    ![Cheating Cybersecurity Exams: Paper Tigers](/__l5e/assets-v1/6fc12fdb-33b5-41a4-bfcb-9981a4c850a0/d72ab1072fe0.png)
    
    Sep 4, 2021
    
    ## Cheating Cybersecurity Exams: Paper Tigers
    
    Cybersecurity exam cheats (aka paper tigers), cost everyone - the company issuing the test, those offering credentialing, and the cybersecurity industry at large.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cheating-cybersecurity-exams-paper-tigers)
-   [
    
    ![Tips for Certified Cybersecurity Professionals to Find Jobs](/__l5e/assets-v1/e1c96a90-11d3-4341-9589-7458ff2c13d7/tips-for-certified-cybersecurity-professionals-to-find-jobs-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 4, 2021
    
    ## Tips for Certified Cybersecurity Professionals to Find Jobs
    
    I share three methods to empower you to find your ideal cybersecurity job, leveraging your CISSP (or any other) cybersecurity certification.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/tips-for-certified-cybersecurity-professionals-to-find-jobs)
-   [
    
    ![LinkedIn Tips for a Better Cybersecurity Job](/__l5e/assets-v1/7affe388-9f00-49a2-b3fb-7c7a5fa713ae/linkedin-tips-for-a-better-cybersecurity-job-hero.webp)
    
    Sep 4, 2021
    
    ## LinkedIn Tips for a Better Cybersecurity Job
    
    Land a new, exciting, and better cybersecurity role by enhancing your LinkedIn profile with these supercool tips.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/linkedin-tips-for-a-better-cybersecurity-job)
-   [
    
    ![Understanding the 6 Human Needs To Become a Better Technical Leader](/__l5e/assets-v1/9ccba8f0-5396-4f47-9148-7590e2e0c717/1f46eee71a40.jpg)
    
    Sep 3, 2021
    
    ## Understanding the 6 Human Needs To Become a Better Technical Leader
    
    Most leaders fail by trusting that intelligence alone can resolve issues. We forget we are working with people who, just like us, have needs
    
    
    
    ](/blog/understanding-the-6-human-needs-to-become-a-better-technical-leader)
-   [
    
    ![The Importance of Acknowledgment and Appreciation](/__l5e/assets-v1/11a9b788-02ca-4847-beaa-58258810db7d/8383d6fc3d3f.jpg)
    
    Aug 22, 2021
    
    ## The Importance of Acknowledgment and Appreciation
    
    Whether it is for ourselves or the people around us, acknowledgment can do wonders. Learn to acknowledge yourself and your team by reading more.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-importance-of-acknowledgment-and-appreciation)
-   [
    
    ![Neural Pathway Highways and Ruts: Change Your Habits](/__l5e/assets-v1/50e8505f-8163-4d54-9ab1-84026336322e/2620adae6124.jpg)
    
    Aug 22, 2021
    
    ## Neural Pathway Highways and Ruts: Change Your Habits
    
    When I discovered it’s possible for our brains to create new pathways, I recognized this can improve a person’s behavior, health, and mindset.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/neural-pathway-highways-and-ruts-change-your-habits)
-   [
    
    ![Awareness: Models of the World](/__l5e/assets-v1/cc5ef034-27e5-4d23-ae7d-dd5eead1aef8/awareness-models-of-the-world-hero.webp)
    
    Aug 13, 2021
    
    ## Awareness: Models of the World
    
    Being an effective leader requires many things. Aside from understanding our own skills and capabilities, we need to exert time and effort to understand
    
    
    
    ](/blog/awareness-models-of-the-world)
-   [
    
    ![Are You Effectively Motivating Cybersecurity Professionals?](/__l5e/assets-v1/fb7892e9-0c98-4415-8aab-3c2eb67fd1d2/are-you-effectively-motivating-cybersecurity-professionals-hero.webp)
    
    Apr 29, 2021
    
    ## Are You Effectively Motivating Cybersecurity Professionals?
    
    Motivation is a very personal and subjective thing. What motivates one person may not the next. How leaders inspire teams isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/are-you-effectively-motivating-cybersecurity-professionals)
-   [
    
    ![Monotasking vs. Multitasking](/__l5e/assets-v1/94e54bf2-4dec-4ad1-ae2b-1fb6db25e0d1/1b22974770ff.jpg)
    
    Mar 9, 2021
    
    ## Monotasking vs. Multitasking
    
    Monotasking or single-tasking is the process of dedicating oneself to one task at a time. Monotasking is more effective than multitasking.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/monotasking-vs-multitasking)
-   [
    
    ![A CISO Isn’t a Technical Role](/__l5e/assets-v1/61f6b5ec-e62e-4653-961b-e079a815890b/a-ciso-isnt-a-technical-role-hero.webp)
    
    Mar 6, 2021
    
    ## A CISO Isn’t a Technical Role
    
    A CISO isn’t a technical role. In this post, I’ll make a case for why it isn’t a technical role and define the most critical CISO skills.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/a-ciso-isnt-a-technical-role)
-   [
    
    ![How to Hire Cybersecurity Professionals to Ensure Success for the Organization and the Employee](/__l5e/assets-v1/b01b1102-7eb2-4bad-b900-c01fc45514cb/e010d5214c3f.jpg)
    
    Mar 2, 2021
    
    ## How to Hire Cybersecurity Professionals to Ensure Success for the Organization and the Employee
    
    In this article, we teach you how to hire cybersecurity professionals so they and your organization can be successful.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/how-to-hire-cybersecurity-professionals-to-ensure-success-for-the-organization-and-the-employee)
-   [
    
    ![NLP Presuppositions for Leaders](/__l5e/assets-v1/0c3ae352-59c0-42c8-b7b0-979781aeaab7/e5b23c92db48.jpg)
    
    Mar 2, 2021
    
    ## NLP Presuppositions for Leaders
    
    There are 14 NLP presuppositions that we apply to become better leaders of ourselves and others. Awareness of NLP presuppositions is vital.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/nlp-presuppositions-for-leaders)
-   [
    
    ![Cognitive vs Affective Empathy Leadership](/__l5e/assets-v1/0cf1cdcd-55b1-472b-b3b6-cf141892b25d/cognitive-vs-affective-empathy-leadership-hero.webp)
    
    Feb 26, 2021
    
    ## Cognitive vs Affective Empathy Leadership
    
    Cognitive and Affective Empathy are both a part of being an effective leader. High cognitive empathy / low affective is the best combination.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cognitive-vs-affective-empathy-leadership)
-   [
    
    ![The Truth About Cybersecurity Certifications](/__l5e/assets-v1/4292ea62-bb92-4fb4-ab12-44173f9aef6f/8ce8778b88f4.jpg)
    
    Feb 4, 2021
    
    ## The Truth About Cybersecurity Certifications
    
    The cybersecurity industry is creating many paper tigers , someone who claims to have knowledge but just passed a multiple-choice test.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/the-truth-about-cybersecurity-certifications)
-   [
    
    ![Cybersecurity "Professionals" - Reboot Needed](/__l5e/assets-v1/c601b0de-24b1-435a-9623-61aa38b966c0/cybersecurity-professionals-reboot-needed-hero.webp)
    
    Jul 21, 2020
    
    ## Cybersecurity "Professionals" - Reboot Needed
    
    This article focuses on cybersecurity certifications and stringent license requirements, as opposed to certification exams that can be easily “gamed”.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cybersecurity-professionals-reboot-needed)
-   [
    
    ![Cybersecurity Paper Tigers are Killing Us](/__l5e/assets-v1/4fdca8ed-0d32-4feb-b44e-78e8f2b681ea/3d43a8252025.jpg)
    
    Jan 24, 2020
    
    ## Cybersecurity Paper Tigers are Killing Us
    
    Cybersecurity is full of paper tigers - people who cheat certification exams and on't care about cybersecurity. Let's unite to get rid of paper tigers.
    
    
    
    ](/blog/cybersecurity-paper-tigers-are-killing-us)

[← All posts](/blog)

Christian Espinosa

Bestselling author, keynote speaker, and Founding CEO of [Blue Goat Cyber](https://bluegoatcyber.com/). Helping technical leaders develop the soft skills that turn brilliance into impact.

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