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From Individual Contributor to Leader
Episode 44

From Individual Contributor to Leader

Cybersecurity Growth · Cybersecurity Growth

December 23, 202549m 11s

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Show Notes

From IC to Leader 🎙

Leadership in cybersecurity isn’t just about a title — although sometimes the title forces the issue. Whether you’re an IC, a manager, or a director, there’s a real shift that has to happen when you move from doing security to leading security.

In this episode, Garrett and Shawn dig into the core differences, including the transition from:

  1. SecOps worker → SecOps leader
  2. AppSec worker → AppSec leader
  3. GRC worker → GRC leader
  4. Manager → Executive leader (VP, CISO, SVP)

We talk about what really changes:

  1. Doing it yourself → delegating effectively
  2. Delivering results → setting strategy and holding teams accountable
  3. Celebrating your own wins → celebrating your team’s wins
  4. Being the technical expert → translating security into executive language (revenue, growth, customer trust)

If you’re thinking about what the next step looks like in your career — or you’re already in a role where leadership is expected — this conversation is for you.

Show timeline:

  1. 00:00 ...coming up
  2. 00:20 introduction & agenda
  3. 02:30 progressing in career
  4. 03:55 core differences between an IC and a leader
  5. 05:30 doing the work or delegating
  6. 07:20 you don't have to be a people manager
  7. 08:55 when people management isn't right for you
  8. 11:40 transitioning to people manger
  9. 14:50 is people management a calling?
  10. 17:50 delegating and celebrating
  11. 20:40 delivering key results and managing strategic objectives
  12. 22:50 climbing the corporate ladder
  13. 24:10 the real job of the c-level team, including the CISO
  14. 33:50 final thoughts and wrap-up
  15. 37:44 b-roll and bloopers
  16. Cybersecuritygrowth.com and cybersecuritygrowth.com/webcasts
  17. Live on members.cybersecuritygrowth.com bi-weekly, Fridays at 2:30 PM ET, 11:30 AM PT, 6:30 PM GMT in your pod feeds a few days later.

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