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Does a Fearless Culture Support Cyber Security?

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/us/politics/tech-companies-cybersecurity-accord.html

I came across this article today and it really made me think about what is happening in, not only our country, but our world today. We live in a much different environment than we have ever lived before. With continuous advances in technology and connection via social media, why is it that we find ourselves in increasingly divided factions at work, in politics, and even at home! As I look around and ask myself, "What is happening?" I see one thing: fear. We are controlled in masses and in a constant state of fight-or-flight due to being inundated with news that makes us scared. Fear is crippling us as a civilized society. Fear is driving more division between our collective humanity. Even worse, more and more, people are engaging in behaviors that make the "other" (or those that do not agree with them) an enemy and sub-human. It's like people are in such fear that any sort of disagreement forces people into a full on attack on the other person's humanity. This is forcing us into dangerous terrain and I keep thinking about what I can do to help reconnect people and get out from behind ideologies.

If we all learned how to identify fears and manage them without closing off our humanity, lean into our values, and speak with candor, confidence, and curiosity, we would all be able to at least begin to collectively reconnect. What happened to the ability to listen to one another, even when we disagree? When did we begin to launch into personal attacks and turn into an "us vs. them" or "if you're not with me, you're against me" society? Polarized thinking is driving us to lose the basic ability to treat other human beings with dignity and respect.

It is entirely possible to disagree with someone and still treat them with dignity and respect. I know this to be true as I've taught hundreds of people how to do this in their every day life and at work. This is a big piece of creating a #FearlessCulture. As I think about the #CybersecurityTechAccord I think about the uncertain future ahead. Who will align with the agreement? Who will not? How will this agreement change how tech companies operate and the way employees do their work? What bold communication will be necessary in order to make this effort work? What are tech employee's biggest fears? How would a fearless culture support cyber security?

Where do we start with such a huge and nuanced problem? We must start with our self. It is my mission to begin to counter the attack on human dignity by infusing a #FearlessCulture into every organization I speak to, work with, and have contact with. I hope you'll do your part too because we are much stronger together.

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