Today, the world is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). It demands adaptive and forward-thinking approaches from business executives, including chief information security officers (CISOs) and chief information officers (CIOs). Their management styles need to be agile, proactive and collaborative to address the dynamic nature of today’s technological landscape. CISOs and CIOs can adopt a variety of management styles, depending on the individual’s personality, personal preferences and leadership approach; the organizational culture and context; and the specific needs of the enterprise.
Prominent management styles include:
- Authoritative, autocratic and directive
- Collaborative, participative and democratic
- Servant leadership
- Strategic
- Laissez-faire
- Transformational and transactional
It is important to note that these management styles are not mutually exclusive, and a CISO or CIO may employ a combination of styles, depending on the situation, the organizational culture and team dynamics. In addition, the effectiveness of a management style may vary based on the specific context and the individuals involved.
The Authoritative, Autocratic and Directive Style
In this style, the CISO or CIO makes decisions independently and expects strict adherence to directives. For example, a financial institution with a highly regulated environment may adopt an authoritative management style to ensure compliance with security regulations. The CISO sets and implements rigid security policies and procedures with little input from other departments, making critical security decisions based on the CISO’s expertise and closely monitoring compliance.
This style involves a top-down approach with a strong focus on hierarchy and control.
Adopting this management style may result in limited employee input and creativity, reduced morale and engagement, and increased resistance and noncompliance, while potentially impeding adaptability to changing threats. Furthermore, there is a risk of over reliance on the CISO’s expertise, hindering effective cybersecurity decision-making and organizational resilience.
The Collaborative, Participative, Democratic Style
This style emphasizes teamwork, open communication, and employee involvement in decision-making processes. For example, a technology company with a strong emphasis on innovation may adopt a collaborative management style to foster a culture of creativity and teamwork. The CISO encourages the security team to contribute to the development of security strategies and policies, holding regular team meetings to gather ideas and suggestions and create a sense of ownership among team members. The CISO also promotes cross-functional collaboration among IT, security and other departments, encouraging feedback, brainstorming and collaborative problem-solving to address security challenges. This style values employees’ input and feedback by involving others in decision-making processes, but it could pose challenges in achieving consensus on crucial security matters. It could lead to potential decision-making delays and heighten the risk of overlooking decisive leadership during critical situations.
The Servant Leadership Style
This style focuses on serving the needs of team members and promoting their professional and personal development. For example, the CISO in a government agency prioritizes the well-being and development of the security team, actively listening to team members’ concerns, providing support and facilitating training opportunities. The primary goal is to enable the team’s success. Likewise, an educational institution that concentrates on nurturing talent and promoting a culture of learning may adopt a servant leadership style for information security management. This style prioritizes the well-being and professional development of the security team, providing the necessary resources, training and mentorship opportunities to empower employees and enhance their skills. With this style, there is a potential risk of prioritizing individual needs over organizational objectives, which might lead to difficulties in enforcing strict security measures and maintaining compliance. In situations requiring assertive decision-making, the emphasis on consensus and team well-being might hinder quick and decisive actions in response to security threats.
The Strategic Style
This style involves a strong focus on long-term planning, setting goals, and aligning security initiatives with organizational objectives. For example, a multinational organization operating in multiple industries may adopt a strategic management style to ensure consistent security practices across diverse business units. The CIO takes a strategic approach to cybersecurity, aligns security investments with business priorities, and develops a comprehensive security roadmap. This style prioritizes risk management, governance, and the alignment of security with strategic objectives. The heavy emphasis on alignment with strategic objectives may lead to challenges in adapting security measures to rapidly changing cybersecurity landscapes, potentially affecting the organization’s ability to respond quickly to new threats. There is also a potential risk of overlooking immediate security threats in favor of long-term planning, which might leave the organization vulnerable to emerging risk.
The Laissez-Faire Style
This style involves delegating significant decision-making authority to team members and giving them autonomy. For example, in a multinational technology enterprise, the CISO trusts the security team’s expertise and allows members to make decisions about security controls, incident response and risk management. The CISO provides guidance and support when needed but avoids excessive micromanagement, allowing the security team to operate independently and make decisions based on its members’ expertise. The CISO empowers the team by giving it the freedom to execute its responsibilities. Within the team, the CISO fosters a culture of self-direction and innovation, trusting team members’ capabilities and encouraging them to take ownership of their projects. The CISO sets broad objectives and provides minimal oversight, allowing the team to determine the best strategies for achieving those objectives. Likewise, the CIO in a technology enterprise, for example, allows IT managers to make decisions related to their respective areas of expertise, providing minimal guidance and intervention and allowing teams to operate independently within defined boundaries.
This style does present the risk of inadequate coordination and lack of centralized control, potentially leading to inconsistent security practices and misaligned efforts within the organization. In addition, in the absence of sufficient oversight and guidance, there might be a higher chance of overlooking critical security issues, and teams may struggle to effectively address complex security challenges without clear direction.
The Transformational and Transactional Style
This style focuses on inspiring and motivating employees to achieve long-term organizational goals. For example, the CIO sets a compelling vision for the enterprise’s digital transformation and drives change through innovation, encouraging employees to take a risk, embrace new technologies and continually improve. Transactional leaders focus on rewarding or disciplining employees based on their performance as measured by predetermined goals or targets. For example, a retail organization undergoing a digital transformation may adopt a transformational management style to drive innovation, enhance customer experience and adapt to changing market trends. The CISO fosters a culture of continual improvement and professional growth within the security team, providing mentorship, promoting collaboration, and encouraging team members to take on challenging projects. This style focuses on inspiring and motivating the security team to achieve excellence. By focusing on clearly defined targets, performance metrics and rewards, this approach ensures adherence to security policies and procedures while motivating the security team to achieve its goals.
Similarly, the CISO in a healthcare enterprise, for example, adopts a transformational leadership approach by setting the goal of becoming a leader in healthcare data security. The CISO empowers and mentors the security team, encouraging innovation and promoting a culture of continual learning and growth, by setting specific security objectives and establishing reward programs or recognition systems for achieving them. There may also be consequences for noncompliance with security policies.
It should be noted that the excessive reliance on rewards and punishments could create a culture in which employees prioritize meeting specific targets over comprehensive security practices, potentially compromising the organization’s overall cybersecurity posture.
The most successful CISOs and CIOs are typically those who are flexible enough to apply different management styles as appropriate, based on the needs and dynamics of the enterprise.
Conclusion
While each management style offers unique benefits, there are potential drawbacks associated with each as well. Management styles can be a blend of different approaches, and effective leaders often adapt their styles to fit the specifics of each situation and the characteristics of the individuals with whom they are working. The most successful CISOs and CIOs are typically those who are flexible enough to apply different management styles as appropriate, based on the needs and dynamics of the enterprise. The most effective blend of management styles for protecting organizational interests would include elements of authoritative, strategic, collaborative, participative, transformational and transactional leadership. Servant leadership principles should also be incorporated to ensure the well-being and growth of the team.
The management styles of CISOs and CIOs in the VUCA world are characterized by agility, adaptability, collaboration and effective communication. They strive to redefine VUCA as vision, understanding, clarity and agility. Understanding each prominent management style helps CISOs and CIOs assess and adapt their leadership styles to manage teams and drive organizational security more effectively. Management styles can vary within an enterprise, and effective CISOs and CIOs adapt their styles based on the situation and organizational needs. The choice of management style should align with the enterprise’s goals and culture and the specific challenges of the information security landscape.
JAYAKUMAR SUNDARAM | CISA, CC, ISO 27001:2013 LA/LI
Is principal cybersecurity consultant at SVAM International Inc. Jay has been involved in information and cybersecurity governance, risk and compliance practices for more than 12 years and has three decades of experience in information systems and IT delivery management. He can be contacted on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysundaram.
