Beyond the Org Chart: Why CISOs Must Connect with High-Performers, Not Just Titles

As a CISO, I spend a lot of time thinking about risk. I review our digital footprint, analyze potential threats, and develop strategies to protect our organization. However, I've come to realize that some of my most valuable insights don't come from vulnerability scanners or threat intelligence feeds. They come from the people who are building, shipping, and innovating within our company.

For a long time, the traditional CISO playbook has focused on a top-down approach. We engage with executive leadership, department heads, and managers. We believe that by gaining buy-in from those with titles and authority, we'll be able to cascade our security initiatives effectively. And while this is a necessary part of the job, it's far from the complete picture.

The truth is, titles and formal roles don’t always tell the whole story of who holds the critical knowledge and influence within an organization. I’ve learned that some of the most insightful and impactful security conversations I have are with high-performance individuals—the quiet coding prodigy in the corner, the meticulous data analyst who built a custom dashboard, and the veteran operations engineer who knows every quirk of our legacy systems.

These individuals are at the forefront of our work, pushing boundaries and experimenting with new technologies. They possess a deep understanding of the systems, data, and processes crucial to our business, identifying legacy code, unpatched servers, and single points of failure. In contrast, managers or directors, who are essential for resource allocation and strategy, are often removed from technical details, focusing instead on deadlines and deliverables. High-performers provide a detailed view of dependencies, hidden risks, and creative shortcuts that impact our security posture.

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So, how do we, as CISOs, bridge this gap?

It starts with a change in mindset. We need to intentionally move beyond the formal organizational chart and actively seek out these high performers. This isn’t about undermining managers; it's about supplementing our understanding with a deeper, more accurate source of truth.

Here are a few ways I've found to build these crucial connections:

• Go to the Source: Instead of just getting a summary from a manager, ask to be part of a team's weekly stand-up. Participate in a project demo. Sit in on a retrospective. You don't have to be a technical expert in their domain, but your presence signals that you value their work and their insights.

  
  

• Create Informal Channels: Establish "office hours" or "coffee chats" that are accessible to everyone, not just senior leaders. Use these opportunities to listen more than you talk. Ask open-ended questions, such as, "What's the one thing that keeps you up at night about our infrastructure?" or "If you could change one security process, what would it be?"

  
  

• Recognize and Reward their Contributions: When a high-performer flags a potential security issue or suggests an innovative solution, champion their work. Give them credit in meetings. Make it clear that their proactive approach is not only valued but is critical to our collective success. This reinforces a culture where security is viewed as a shared responsibility, not just a mandate from above.

  
  

• Speak Their Language: Understand their challenges. If a team is moving to a new cloud platform, don't just hand them a list of security requirements. Ask them what their most significant pain points are with the migration. Offer to provide solutions that make their jobs easier, not just more difficult.

Building these connections with high performers isn't just a "nice-to-have "; it's a strategic imperative. It provides us with a more precise and more accurate view of our risk landscape, empowering the individuals who are truly driving our business forward to be our best security allies.

So, next time you're reviewing a project or a new initiative, I challenge you to look past the titles and seek out the quiet expert. You might be surprised by what you learn.