There comes a time in a cybersecurity professional’s life when being a tech expert is no longer enough. The next step may lead to management or the C-suite, but the goal demands a different kind of expertise.
Technical skills will continue to serve a new CISO well, but the role demands additional capabilities built on that foundation. That may mean prioritizing investments amid tight budgets or helping business leaders weigh the security tradeoffs behind a product launch.
“The strongest CSOs and CISOs are the ones who can confidently translate technical risk to business priorities,” says Chad LeMaire, CISO at ExtraHop. Without that ability, technical depth can become “a career ceiling” instead of a competitive advantage. “Presenting solely as the most technically skilled person in the room may actually hold CISOs back,” LeMaire adds.
An analysis of CISO job postings found that employers value education in STEM or business fields and vendor-neutral certification, but they also want to see strong communication skills and knowledge of regulatory frameworks. In contrast, job listings placed little emphasis on mastery of particular security platforms, coding ability, or security clearances.
The study also highlighted CISO responsibilities and requirements. Taken together, they portray the CISO as a business strategist and organizational leader, not the person expected to handle day-to-day technical work.
The CISOs must build trust, communicate clearly, and collaborate without slipping into the “IT guy” posture, says John Harbaugh, CISO at BlueVoyant.
“In my career, I’ve been very successful with the following: have a positive attitude especially under stress, assume best intent from people you’re engaging with, and always take the high road, especially when trying to collaborate on solutions,” he says. “Cheesy, but I’ve found it to be super effective across my super diverse business and mission career.”
Other effective skills are knowing how to read the room, keeping an open mind, and finding a good mentor. All these can help aspiring CISOs navigate uncertainty and build trust.
Show up like you deserve to be there
Aspiring CISOs must enter the room as leaders helping the business goals, not as obstacles standing in the way. “Show up in every room like you deserve to be there,” says LeMaire. “The more conversations you listen in to, the more you can ladder security goals to align with overall business objectives and also align with legal, business development, employee engagement, and other departments.”
That extra knowledge can also help a future CISO take ownership of problems and use their technology background to develop solutions. Then, they need to explain those solutions clearly, so others can accept them.
“You want someone who looks professional and, most importantly, acts and speaks professionally,” says Ira Winkler, CEO and program director of CruiseCon. “People need to present confidently. They need to speak concisely.”
But while it’s important to look professional, overdoing it can be a mistake. “I was on shift work at NSA, and one entry-level analyst always wore a suit to work,” Winkler says. “He was dressing for the role he wanted.” Most managers, though, saw it as an attempt to curry favor, while his peers found it alienating.
Colleagues and friends can help an aspiring CISO spot habits and blind spots. When Winkler tried to raise venture capital for his company, he had little experience with the process, so he listened closely to his advisors.
“The investment banker I was working with told me that I need to stop using the filler word honestly,” he said. “It sends people the subliminal impression that I was otherwise lying.”
Be a good politician
“CISOs need to be able to articulate security needs and investments in a way that will resonate with various leaders and audiences,” LeMaire says. “Leading CISOs will be the ones who explore how security and technical decisions are connected to business goals and objectives.”
Harbaugh agrees. “A CISO needs to know how to be both a good politician and a good business partner,” he adds.
Another skill is building relationships across departments. CISOs depend on developers, operations teams, legal, finance, and business leaders to manage risk, so influence often matters as much as authority.
“You can be an exceptional security specialist, but if you cannot build trust with those groups, influence decisions, and create shared accountability, you will struggle in a CISO role,” says Anant Adya, executive vice president and head of Americas delivery at Infosys.
Owning mistakes and sharing the lessons learned can help build trust. “That combination of accountability, judgment, and business maturity can actually strengthen the candidacy,” LeMaire says.
In fact, he advises aspiring CISOs to avoid looking “too perfect” during an important conversation or the job interview. “There is no such thing as a perfect candidate and the strongest CISO candidates are often the ones who can clearly say what they got wrong,” LeMaire says.
Never forget the importance of the business
Security professionals with technical backgrounds can easily become absorbed in technical details, but the CISO role demands a broader perspective. They need to understand how the company really operates and how cybersecurity decisions impact the business.
“I have become a major advocate of getting an MBA,” Winkler says. “People need to understand business. If they want to be a peer of the CFO, CIO, COO, etc., they should have the same educational base.”
An MBA is not the only option for becoming business-fluent. Security leaders can also build it by managing budgets, joining complex projects, or gaining experience in product, operations, and risk roles. What matters is understanding how the company makes money.
Have an open mind and keep learning
Curiosity is not optional for aspiring CISOs. Technology is changing quickly, so they need to stay up to speed. “AI agents, APIs, and machine identities are growing quickly inside enterprises,” Adya says. “Knowing how to govern what they can access and do will become a valuable skill for future security leaders.”
A great CISO has experience outside cybersecurity. “Spend time in data, cloud, software engineering, or operations,” Adya adds. “It may feel like a detour but understanding how technology is built and used will make you a stronger security leader.”
Harbaugh seconds this. He advises aspiring CISOs to approach difficult problems without preconceived answers and to stay enthusiastic about learning new technologies and supporting the business. “Bring a passion, not just a here-for-the-paycheck mentality,” he says.
Find a mentor. Or two
More than three decades ago, at the start of his career, LeMaire was fortunate to meet two people who are still his mentors. “One of the biggest lessons I learned is that leaders develop leaders,” he says. “My two mentors were leaders who taught me how to lead, expected me to lead, then expected me to teach others how to lead.”
Because of their mentorship, he was able to have a career as well. “I owe a debt of gratitude and can only hope I was able to do the same for others,” he says.
Draft a career plan, but don’t obsess about it
Ambitious security experts can easily become preoccupied with promotions and future titles. But sometimes an excessive focus on what lies ahead can create unnecessary anxiety and distract from what truly drives success: continuous learning, resilience, adaptability, and delivering meaningful outcomes.
“True leadership growth comes not from meticulously scripting a long-term career path, but from excelling in the role you hold today,” Adya says. “I embraced this mindset and chose to focus on doing the right things, taking on challenges and creating impact wherever I was.”
Focus on the work itself, rather than following a rigid career plan, and the right opportunity will follow. “This approach played a significant role in my growth trajectory and helped open doors to experiences and leadership opportunities I could not have planned for in advance,” Adya adds.
See also:
What the CISO role will look like in 2029
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