Gladis De Leon, CPP
It is not every day you get to spend 1.5 days learning from and with senior security executives across the globe, but that was the environment at the ASIS CSO Center’s Secure Horizons event at GSX 2024. In addition to being in a room of security experts, the program overview piqued my interest, particularly critical thinking—exploring not only the need to make a decision but the need to think thoughtfully about each decision, even under time constraints. In addition, I was highly interested in hearing from my peers about their strategies to influence stakeholder decisions.
Well, the program did not disappoint! Professor Risa M. Mish from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business is an incredible educator and has motivated me to consider pursing an executive MBA after her fantastic presentation.
One of the topics that really resonated with me was that of intuition. I’ve been called highly intuitive many times but never really stopped to think what it entails. It’s not some superpower but rather the ability to recognize patterns immediately and make decisions based on past experiences. It was almost eerie as, during the program, I was having a personal issue where my “intuition” was stepping in, and Mish’s overview of decision making and after-action review helped me process and manage my issue. I got over my “analysis paralysis” and was able to move forward. This is definitely a skill set I will be honing both in my professional and personal life.
I enjoyed exploring how I “show up” when seeking information to make a decision. The presentation and discussion prompted me to consider my personal biases, focus on having empathy towards others, and watch my assumptions, all of which can help me avoid negative experiences or miss critical details.
There were so many key takeaways, but one recommendation that I worked on a few days later was revising my LinkedIn Profile so that it was more effective when making connections.
Again, I can’t say enough of this amazing program and am thankful to the CSO center for putting together a thoughtful, thought-provoking, and insightful agenda for senior security leaders.