ABSTRACT
This chapter will be very different from the previous ones in that it will discuss a topic seldom considered in security books, namely the area of self-development. The choice of this topic comes from a lifelong observation that the best security consultants/practitioners seldom make it to the top of the organization. Is it due to the fact that they focus on security-only issues and often neglect the business or relationships with other managers in the company? Or is it due to the poor image of security as a business entity? Whatever the reason, security managers are entitled to successful careers.
Books on self-development, have always been with us, in one form or another, but their number has multiplied exponentially these last twenty years and it is now accepted by almost everyone that a number of social laws can lead to improvement in one’s career. These “laws,” ” principles,” or guidelines” are not scientific laws but rather common-sense approaches to life and business, which, if understood properly, can serve the security practitioner and make him reach his deserved level of responsibility. I will explain briefly some of these laws, why they help, and why security managers should use them to their advantage. There is nothing complex here, no charlatanism, just a simple application of basic rules of life in society (and an organization is a society, is it not?) that should help the security practitioner working for an organization to be noticed, appreciated, and promoted. I will mainly borrow from three or four authors and summarize their suggestions.
