Building Community in Cybersecurity - Sherri Davidoff - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 021

11/15/24 • 29 min

Shift & Thrive: CEO Insights on Driving Change

In this episode of Shift and Thrive, Natalie interviews Sherri Davidoff, CEO of LMG Security. Sherri, a seasoned professional with over 16 years in the cybersecurity industry, shares her journey in leading her company, the challenges of bootstrapping a company, the benefits of becoming employee-owned, and the value of maintaining a flexible and supportive company culture. She provides insights into how her family’s entrepreneurial background influenced her leadership style and underscores the need for self-care among leaders. The conversation also delves into the impact of AI on cybersecurity and the necessity for continuous vigilance and adaptation.

Takeaways:

Adopt a deliberate pace. Implement the philosophy of “slowing down to speed up” to ensure thorough market readiness and internal alignment before executing major changes.
Maintain a culture of adaptability and responsiveness within your team, mirroring the advantages of a bootstrapped approach even as your organization grows.
Offer flexible schedules and workspaces to accommodate the evolving needs of employees, enhancing their productivity and work-life balance.
Stay ahead by integrating AI into business operations while developing policies for safe and secure usage. Adapt proactively to technological advancements.
Keep up with continuous security practices. Move towards continuous security monitoring and management instead of periodic checks to better handle ongoing risks and regulatory requirements.
Prioritize community over commodity. Cultivate a community-centric approach in business operations. Build strong connections with customers, treating them as integral parts of your business ecosystem.
Allocate time for personal well-being, recognizing that a healthy leader is more effective. Balance personal health with professional responsibilities for long-term success.

Quote of the Show:

“Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherri-davidoff/
Company Website: https://www.lmgsecurity.com/contact-us/

Ways to Tune In:

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com

Takeaways:

Adopt a deliberate pace. Implement the philosophy of “slowing down to speed up” to ensure thorough market readiness and internal alignment before executing major changes.
Maintain a culture of adaptability and responsiveness within your team, mirroring the advantages of a bootstrapped approach even as your organization grows.
Offer flexible schedules and workspaces to accommodate the evolving needs of employees, enhancing their productivity and work-life balance.
Stay ahead by integrating AI into business operations while developing policies for safe and secure usage. Adapt proactively to technological advancements.
Keep up with continuous security practices. Move towards continuous security monitoring and management instead of periodic checks to better handle ongoing risks and regulatory requirements.
Prioritize community over commodity. Cultivate a community-centric approach in business operations. Build strong connections with customers, treating them as integral parts of your business ecosystem.
Allocate time for personal well-being, recognizing that a healthy leader is more effective. Balance personal health with professional responsibilities for long-term success.

Quote of the Show:

“Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherri-davidoff/
Company Website: https://www.lmgsecurity.com/contact-us/

Ways to Tune In:

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com

Previous Episode

Leadership Lessons from the Cutting Edge - Jorge Myszne - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 020

In this week’s episode of Shift and Thrive, host Natalie Nathanson sits down with Jorge Myszne, Chief Product Officer Niobium Microsystems. Jorge shares his remarkable journey, from his early days in Uruguay to his innovative work at Niobia. They delve into his extensive experience leading organizations through critical transformations such as fundraising, rapid scaling, and successful exits. Jorge emphasizes the importance of patience in transformation, aligning team vision, and navigating misconceptions about organizational change.

Takeaways:

Regularly communicate the vision and objectives of your transformation efforts. Be patient, as real change takes time and persistence. Ensure your team is consistently aligned with the vision by frequently reiterating its importance and benefits.
Implement rapid prototyping to test ideas early, but balance this with careful risk assessments. Evaluate when it's feasible to take bold leaps that can accelerate progress without jeopardizing the foundation.
Foster an environment where diverse opinions and new ideas are valued. Encourage creativity and be open to exploring different approaches to solving problems, ensuring all team members feel heard.
Continuously identify potential challenges and de-risk them early in projects. Understand the balance between taking calculated risks and maintaining stability to navigate through uncertainties successfully.
Recognize the human element of your team. Support their well-being by managing workloads to prevent burnout and offering mentorship to guide their professional growth.
Invest in cutting-edge solutions like homomorphic encryption to address cybersecurity challenges. Educate stakeholders on their value to foster support and integration.

Quote of the Show:

“You need to understand where your north is. You might get there in a straight line or you might need to zigzag, but it is very important that you don't lose your north.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmyszne/
Company Website: http://www.niobiummicrosystems.com

Ways to Tune In:

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com

Next Episode

Navigating Change - Matt Farry - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 022

On this week's episode of Shift & Thrive: CEO Insights on Driving Change, Natalie sits down with guest Matt Farry, Chief Product Officer of CyFlare and Founder. Matt is a seasoned entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert with 20 years in the industry and nine years of active duty in the US Coast Guard. They discuss managing major organizational change, the role of individual adaptability, and the value of self-awareness in leadership. Matt highlights his experience transitioning CyFlare from a services company to a SaaS model, emphasizing the need for a separate P&L, dedicated team, and continuous customer feedback. He also shares his personal journey of embracing a nomadic lifestyle, which taught him empathy, flexibility, and prioritization.

Takeaways:

Foster Adaptability and Lead by Example. Encourage team members at all levels to take initiative and lead changes within their capacities. Display adaptability yourself to set a standard.
Focus on creating balanced teams with complementary skills to tackle diverse challenges. Regularly reassess team composition to ensure it fits current and future needs.
Implement frameworks to ensure clear and effective communication during meetings and discussions. Train your team to use this common language to reduce misunderstandings and streamline decision-making.
When introducing significant changes create independent teams with clear, separate goals and resources. Ensure these initiatives have the autonomy needed to innovate without being bogged down by existing processes.
Actively seek feedback from both internal and external customers and use it to guide product development and improvements. Prioritize negative feedback as it often highlights critical areas that need attention.
Be open to major lifestyle changes and use these experiences to gain new perspectives on leadership and business. Apply personal growth and learning to improve how you lead and interact with your team.

Quote of the Show:

“Life is a game of making it more good than bad and the players you pick to play the game with impact whether that mission is successful or not successful.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfarry87/
Company Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cyflare/
Email: [email protected]

Ways to Tune In:

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com