A crisis such as a global pandemic will take time to turn around completely, even with the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine just recently. While the economic ramifications have been severe, the pandemic has propelled some businesses further into the digital realm.
If you hold a leadership position in the IT or cyber security department, you must recognize that your role is crucial to the continuity of your business. Thus, now is not the time to be complacent. Here are four important leadership traits to have in 2021:
1. Able to calculate and mitigate risk
As a leader, you must recognize the impact of decisions of business to the security system, and vice versa. How will one affect the other, and what limitations must the organization overcome in order to optimize profitability and the security as well as reliability of information systems?
2. Have the ability to teach
Every person in the organization should have the ability to teach — to communicate effectively in order to deliver ideas and concerns across departments. For IT leaders, the ability to simplify complex concepts can make a big difference in how plans will be executed, preventing miscommunication and inefficient resource allocation.
3. Have compassion and empathy
Compassion and empathy are the essential traits of any leader. Specifically in the IT and cyber security department, compassion and empathy will determine your team’s morale. Understaffing, lack of training due to funding cuts, and lack of technological support are often the consequences of an economic downturn. It is the IT leader’s job to understand how these limitations impact work performance, and to find temporary solutions to ease work pressure.
4. Encourages innovation
Even in difficult times, investors invest. Perhaps the slow-moving business phase has a hidden benefit — a time to experiment, to restructure, and to innovate. As a leader, never forget your role to facilitate the development of new ideas. Cyber security technology developments never rest, even during the global pandemic. Encourage exploration and instill the attitude of curiosity among team members.
These four traits will help your team go through tough times ahead in 2021. Businesses leaders should also seek support from other organizations. During a critical digital transformation, you can count on Xynexis to help you assess security risks, test your current cyber security systems, or even further your organization’s compliance process with our qualified assessors.
