Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path

CHAPTER 17How Do I Build a Team?

Summary

• Know yourself: Understand what the organization wants from you as a security team leader.
• Network: Sense-check your plans with internal stakeholders and external subject-matter experts (SMEs).
• Stay curious: Continuously assess how well your functions are performing and what can be done to improve them. Don't be shy to stop doing something that is finished or isn't working well.
• Communicate well and often: If you're going to make a change or add a new security function, communicate your plans early and widely.

It's rare to have to create a team entirely from scratch. More often, at least a couple of people are already working together to do some security function, and you are asked to build on it. This is particularly true if you are getting your first management role. Often, the function you are leading already exists, and you've been put in charge of it. You are asked to manage the team — so that's what you do.

For most new managers, your first opportunity to decide what your team should look like comes when one of your existing employees leaves. For the first time, you have the responsibility of finding a replacement. For the first time, you get to think about what you really need in terms of skills. You get to think about what kind of personality would work with the team and what kind of person you value as a team member. It is great to have this kind of choice and be reminded of the responsibility of management. Just ...