So you want to be a CISO... Part 2
In Part 1, we outlined what it takes to become a CISO. Part 2 looks at how executive readiness shows up in real time, especially when credibility, status, and expertise are questioned.
Cybersecurity conversations can escalate quickly
Cybersecurity conversations can escalate quickly, especially in public spaces: LinkedIn threads, conference panels, Slack communities, workshops. They can also get heated in the workplace: Problem-solving sessions, tabletop exercises, audit read-outs, the risk register and risk acceptance discussions, finance meetings. And, the topic doesn't matter. Career paths. CISSP versus CISM. Budget ownership. Engineering versus governance. Processes and procedures. Documentation requirements. Approvals.
Labels become proxies for intellectual legitimacy, and the discussion quietly shifts from the substance of the issue to who is allowed to speak about what. What looks like a disagreement about ideas often turns into something else entirely. Status gets involved. People feel questioned, then they start defending their position and their place in the field. That is usually the moment where the conversation stops being productive.
The reflex many cybersecurity professionals fall into
When intellectual legitimacy feels challenged, some people respond by explaining more. They list credentials. They correct other people's "tone". They try to "win" the exchange. Sometimes they escalate, sometimes they withdraw, and sometimes they do both. This is human, but it is also revealing.
The paradox is that the harder someone tries to prove their legitimacy, the more they invite other people to judge it. And, at senior levels, escalation rarely signals strength. More often, it signals a loss of self control.
What senior leaders do differently
Experienced leaders behave differently in these moments. They do not rush to defend their background. They do not debate their right to be in the conversation. They do not chase every misinterpretation or side argument. Instead, they hold the frame.
They stay anchored to the idea under discussion. They acknowledge overlap where it exists and move past it without ceremony. They redirect without accusation, let others speak, and they give the room enough space to respond.
Over time, something predictable happens. The conversation settles. Third parties weigh in. The contrast becomes visible without being forced.
The skill underneath the behavior
This is often seen as communication polish or debate discipline. What's really happening is self regulation under contest.
The leader is being intentional with their responses because the external environment is applying pressure. Ego, defensiveness, urgency, tangents, strawmen, and other logical fallacies are seen, then set aside. Attention stays on the system, not the self.
This skill shows up everywhere that leadership matters:
- Public forums
- Boardrooms
- Incident response calls
- Budgeting sessions
- Cross functional planning meetings
Everywhere words carry weight beyond the immediate audience.
Where cybersecurity professionals tend to get stuck
In cybersecurit, technical know-how is typically prioritized over skills like communication and conflict resolution. Very few cybersecurity professionals are taught how to respond with poise when their ideas are publicly challenged.
Many experts reach senior roles because they are knowledgeable operators. What they have not always practiced is how to respond to scrutiny in constructive ways. That gap matters - especially in cybersecurity leadership, where credibility, trust, and influence often determine outcomes long before technical decisions are made.
Questions worth considering
When you think that your intellectual legitimacy is being questioned, what do you default to?
Do you explain more? Do you attack? Do you disengage? Or do you stay present and decide how and when to respond? The answer to these questions has less to do with communication style and more to do with leadership readiness.
If you're working toward a CISO role, this is one of the signals others are reading, and it is the difference between being seen as a senior security expert and being trusted as an executive leader.
Are you ready?
Ready to accelerate your cybersecurity career?
CyberPath Coaching specializes in developing the leadership and business skills that transform technical professionals into executive leaders.
Contact us to learn how we can help you build the competencies that matter most for CISO success.
