There likely are hundreds of traits associated with great leaders. For starters, great leaders demonstrate honesty, integrity, loyalty and humility. They treat people fairly, and they consistently display good judgment. Great leaders tend to be highly intelligent, and they are confident and effective communicators with the ability to inspire others, especially when times are tough. They accept responsibility and value the hard truth. They are calm under crisis, empathetic, and often have good senses of humor. Based on these factors, great leaders are trustworthy, and they repeatedly earn that trust.
It will come as no surprise that each of these qualities also is important and perhaps essential when it comes to cyber security leadership. Yet, of all that is required, these traits may not be the most significant. Consider instead my Top Three: Strategic Vision, Passion for Coordination and Courage to Drive Culture.