"My passion comes from a lifelong commitment to service. When you speak authentically about the work you care about, people can feel it."

Jameson Ritter Director of Behavioral Threat Assessment CPPS

"Being surrounded by top talent pushed me to grow. I never wanted to be the smartest person in the room if you hire people just to confirm your own thinking, you’ll never get anywhere."

Kevin O’Connor Director of Threat Research N-able

"Great leaders shift from 'I can do it best” to “I can help others do it well.' Focus less on completing the task yourself and more on coaching your team to reach the goal."

Tom Cross Head of Threat Research GetReal Security

"Some people look like rock stars on paper, but disappear when the real work starts. I learned to take résumés with a grain of salt and prioritize proven reliability over polished presentations."

T.J. Ramsey Sr. Director of Threat Operations Fortified Health Security

"Leaders need to set a clear direction so teams feel part of something bigger. And we’ve forgotten that cybersecurity is a craft, not just a list of certifications."

Alex Bovicelli Senior Director of Threat Intelligence Tokio Marine HCC

"Diversity of thought, background, and experience is what fuels stronger perspectives, and stronger teams."

Scott Scher Associate Director CTI DTCC

"Getting through challenges takes trust, knowing your teammates, their strengths, their struggles, and being ready to step in. True teamwork is built on collaboration and communication."

Scott Small Director of Cyber Threat Intelligence Tidal Cyber

"Success comes down to persistence and initiative. When paired with trust, mentoring, and the courage to fail, those qualities can take anyone far."

Jeremy Turner VP of Threat Intelligence & Research SecurityScorecard

"I think success for the team means having the confidence to do their jobs, while knowing that if they need something, we’re here for them."

Ely Reyes Director of Public Safety & Chief of Police Cedar Hill

"A mentor taught him the counterintuitive concept of 'staying at the bottom of the ladder' and becoming a cheerleader for his team instead of competing with them."

Aamir Lakhani Global Director of Threat Intelligence & AI Fortinet

"And I'm a firm believer that as a manager, part of your role is to make that effort, to be able to identify those natural leaders and promote them if they so want."

Daniel Schwalbe CISO & Head of Investigations DomainTools

"The saying about trust, 'it's hard to build, easy to lose,' is true. And a key part of building trust is understanding expectations, understanding what people need to hear, want to hear, and delivering on that in a credible, honest way."

Christopher Budd Founder Christopher Budd Communications

"Another thing I've found helpful is to focus less on managing my time and more on managing my energy. It's made a big difference in how I show up and lead."

Michael Freeman Head of Threat Intelligence Armis

"I think a healthy culture within a team is one where the team themselves, number one, enjoy what they're doing."

Robert McArdle Director FTR & Cybercrime Research Trend Micro

"I always tell them too, 'I'm never going to ask you to do something that I wouldn't do myself.' And they see that. It's not just words; it's action. And I think to be an effective leader, you have to have that level of action where they trust in your decision-making ability."

Duaine Labno Director of Special Investigations & TI TIG Risk Services

"I really try to spend time understanding what's going on in their lives beyond work and sharing what's going on in my life too, because I think it goes both ways. It's about showing vulnerability to encourage vulnerability on their part."

Darren LaCasse Director of Threat Intelligence Elastic

"In cybersecurity, we face strong competition and challenging days ahead, so full commitment is essential. If you're not motivated by clear goals and collaboration, this may not be the right place for you."

Caleb Barlow CEO Cyberbit

"I often make mistakes, but each one teaches me something. We take failure hard because we care, and that helps us grow."

Lance James Chief Innovation Officer & Founder Unit 221B