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HAVING AN OPTIMISTIC MINDSET WHEN IT COMES TO MY WORKLOAD AND CAPABILITIES IS THE WAY I MAKE SURE I REMAIN PRODUCTIVE. to have the character I display. I’ m always going forward and not going back.
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry?
For those aspiring to be in the role I’ m currently in, being a technical lead expert is not enough. You have to be aligned with business goals, objectives and outcomes. Many technical professionals in the security space forget that their primary core mission is to serve the business and the customer base. Security is just one way to achieve this.
Alongside this, it’ s essential to be businessminded and business-focused and to be able to speak the language of the business. You mustn’ t position yourself as someone who only speaks in technical terms and doesn’ t understand the general dealings of the business and how they end up working. Instead, you should make sure you put yourself in the mindset of an executive of the business. Put yourself in those shoes, have a business mindset and translate technical risks and challenges in a format the rest of the business can understand. By doing this, you can ensure that you have a seat at the table.
What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to and why?
I would say positivity. There’ s no denying that the role I’ m in is a difficult one, and I think it’ s important to have the mindset of seeing the glass as half full rather than empty. My relationship management skills and emotional IQ are also the traits that have led me to success.
In my position, there are times when I’ m required to be empathetic and considerate and other times when I need to be forceful. The key is knowing when to display these emotions. But regardless of the situation, having a positive outlook is always important. It’ s easier to come up with a solution with a positive frame of mind than a negative one.
What’ s your go-to productivity trick?
When I first got to Gigamon, I had to complete a GPS, which is a quarterly planning of things we will complete. When our President and CEO, Shane Buckley, saw my laundry list of things I wanted to complete, he said the list should only contain the things you want to complete in one quarter. I responded by saying that the goal is to complete these things in the quarter. If I accomplished 100 % and did it all right, I wouldn’ t have given myself enough work. But if I complete 75 % of it, that’ s a win. Having an optimistic mindset when it comes to my workload and capabilities is the way I make sure I remain productive. x
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