Executive Transition Blueprint

Who It's For

Designed for the experienced and ambitious cyber executive starting a new role - where transitions are challenging in both expected and surprising ways - to make the most of an opportunity to set a trajectory.

How It Works

The Blueprint provides critical elements of highly successful CISO executive transitions. It provides a springboard for broader-than-normal situational awareness - a key differentiator between great and merely good CISOs.

But as the saying goes, the map isn't the territory. Our coaching sessions tap into your own insight, experiences, wisdom, creativity, leadership, and style. The real power is enabling you to unlock strengths, increasing your adaptability, and finding what gives you a 10x advantage.

How It Was Built

The Blueprint was sparked by a decade of CISO and cybersecurity executive experience and another decade of working closely with Fortune 500 and public-sector CISOs and cybersecurity leaders. It was built from the insights gleaned from hundreds of interviews with successful executives. It's a distillation, and embodies the wisdom of those few things that make the biggest difference. It also draws upon tools and methods from the Center for Executive Coaching, which have been developed by and for successful executive coaches for decades.

What It is Not

The Blueprint isn't about your cybersecurity strategy, program, or technology. It's not training. If that's what you're looking for, these resources may be of interest.

What to Expect

The Executive Transition Blueprint focuses on a critical time of orienting, self-discovery, establishing relationships, and figuring out the cultural DNA and success patterns of an organization. Those new to significant transitions will be exposed to new practices and approaches, while seasoned executives focus on transition mastery.

We will adhere to the International Coaching Federation Code of Ethics.

How We'll Engage

  • A first call to discuss elements of your transition, personal-professional long-term and near-term goals, likely challenges, current insights and focus areas, and how coaching can work during an executive transition.

  • Based on needs and goals, with adjustments for specific circumstances or commitments discovered in a deep-dive call, we draft a contract, start the engagement, schedule your onboarding, and start the foundational work and initial Blueprint activities.

  • On an agreed-to basis meet to talk through focus areas, progress against goals, potentially helpful blueprint mini-plans and/or tools, and next actions. But more importantly, identify and discuss unique transition challenges along with future development, time-sensitive issues and transition-specific challenges, all while replacing past-success practices that may no longer be relevant or useful.

  • Periodic re-examination of progress against your goals, success or difficulty in addressing internal and external challenges, and proposed refinement of approach and next actions.

  • Approaching six months, conclude engagement, or continue coaching under a bespoke arrangement.