Lessons are best learned when we don’t expect them. When someone proselytizes us or pontificates, our defenses go up. Therefore, the best time to influence someone is when their guard is down.

As what has been a unique and difficult year for many finally comes to a close, I find I have been engaging in a significant number of conversations regarding what the future holds for security careers in these challenging market conditions.

Both artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI) have critical roles to play in security. But two recent reports accentuate the challenge of leadership that tethers technology to humanity.

The close of 2020 is fast approaching, and many security professionals have experienced a wide swing in career highs and lows during this challenging year. Many shifts were obviously pandemic-related. Organizations were either forced to consider business realignment or utilized the upheaval to move in a direction that may have been already under consideration. Regardless of the circumstance, the result was a reduction in opportunities in the security profession for some, and career advancement for others.

In past articles, I have written about behaviors and style characteristics that tend not to be valued by organizations and that have proven often to be the underpinnings of why some security leaders fail in their roles. The counterbalance to that are leadership attributes and behaviors that are essential for success.

A reverend. An FBI Director. A Fortune 1000 CEO. A British Prime Minister. Four individuals representing widely different aspects of life: spirituality, law and order, business, politics.

During your security career, it is highly likely at some point that you will come across someone in a leadership role whose personality and style characteristics create an environment that is toxic and stressful. If you are in the unfortunate position of working for that individual while you are seeking new career opportunities, it may be time to reflect on any early warning indicators you may have missed.

A new study reveals that 93 percent of security professionals lack the tools to detect known security threats, and 92 percent state they are still in need of the appropriate preventative solutions to close current security gaps.