Empathy in Cybersecurity, Recognizing “Moments of Truth”
Empathizing with Customers, Developers, and Stakeholders
In cybersecurity, I sometimes forget to put myself in the shoes of my customers. Maybe it’s because I’m busy. Maybe it’s because I’m arrogant.
People are the most important resource cybersecurity teams have to identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover from cybersecurity events.
Over the weekend, I was reminded that empathy is a core leadership skill we all need to be successful. While I was watching my kids swimming lessons at the local YMCA, I overheard an adult approach the swim instructor and tell them to vacate the lane they were in. Of course, the adult had ‘reasons,’ even though they were all excuses.
The 20-year-old instructor was faced with an agitated adult using every excuse they had to make their case. The instructor immediately recognized the situation they were in. First, they took a moment to understand and acknowledge the feelings of the adult. In turn, they were able to negotiate a solution that allowed the class to continue and pacified the adult until the class was finished.
I was impressed that this young adult had the presence to take a step back, acknowledge the feelings of the customer, and work out a solution that worked for…
