How Are You Showing Up?

In this episode of Life of a CISO, Dr. Eric Cole challenges the conventional definitions of success by inviting us to rethink what it means to have a great or awesome day. Many of us, especially CISOs, fall into the trap of setting unrealistic standards—reserving happiness for rare moments of significant achievement like a promotion or major milestone. This mindset results in spending most days frustrated and dissatisfied. Dr. Cole shares practical strategies, like redefining a good day as simply being productive with tasks like clearing emails and setting achievable goals. By managing expectations, we can transform our perspective and experience more fulfillment in our daily work, making great days a regular occurrence and awesome days something to celebrate a few times a month.

Additionally, Dr. Cole emphasizes the importance of how we show up—not only in attitude but also in appearance. In a professional environment, every detail sends a message about respect and seriousness. The way you dress, the energy you bring, and even your consistency in showing up communicate your dedication to your role. He stresses that CISOs need to be intentional about presenting themselves in a way that commands respect while blending into their environment. Whether it’s maintaining a clean inbox, setting clear communication boundaries, or dressing appropriately, small actions can make a significant difference in how others perceive you—and ultimately, in your success.

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Show Notes:
1:00 - Introduction of today's focus
2:00 - Redefining awesome days
8:00 - Loving your job as a CISO
10:00 - Importance of asking the right questions
15:00 - Showing up matters
22:00 - The distraction of home
24:00 - The role of physical presence
25:00 - Why location matters for CISOs
29:00 - Attitude matters

About Dr. Eric Cole
Eric Cole, Ph.D., is an industry-recognized security expert with over 20 years of hands-on experience in consulting, training, and public speaking. As the founder and CEO of Secure Anchor Consulting, Dr. Cole focuses on helping customers prevent security breaches, detect network intrusions, and respond to advanced threats. In addition, he is a sought-after expert witness and a 2014 inductee to the Info Security Hall of Fame.

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[ToskaRap]

I think one of the reasons for WFH producing, on paper, the same level of productivity as in-office work is that many of the people who WFH and do nothing often do nothing in-office as well. If they weren't home, they'd be at the water cooler, hopping from office to office chatting all day, hiding in their office "cyber loafing" and producing nothing despite being in the office.

But I can't say I disagree from a personal standpoint. My place of work is hybrid, and many people pretty openly treat telework days as extra days off. WFH productivity can be a tough thing to track and some people exploit that.

[WojciechKosnik]

Happy New Year Eric keep the momentum going!

[zaekeon]

Nice job! I guess I’m not living in reality though because the few days I do work from home I start earlier and end later than if I were in the office and I’m “actually working” that time. I would also point out there’s a LOT of wasted time when people go into work, walking around talking for half hour to hours st a time, getting coffee for half hours at a time etc.

I see your points but I can’t agree 100% given my own experience and the reality of people who go into the office. There are a lot of engineer positions I would argue work better from home (cloud)—but I’m sure there are a lot of people doing exactly what you are saying though.