“Security isn’t just a technical challenge; it’s a high-stakes strategic game.”
In the highly competitive cybersecurity world, it takes more than knowing tech stuff to stand out. It requires a leader like Merritt, a seasoned Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), who is not only great with technical details but also changes how leadership works in her field. In a revealing interview, Merritt talks about her critical rules for reaching the top of her career. These rules are about being honest instead of just trying to make everyone happy, making routine work automated so you can boost innovation, and using a solid network of connections to create lasting changes. Her ideas not only show her path but also give a guide for others who want to excel in the harsh world of tech leadership.
Leading by Being Honest, Not by Making Everyone Happy
Many leaders try to please everyone, but Merritt does it differently. She believes in honesty, even when it means saying things that might make people uncomfortable. Merritt thinks that real leaders look beyond short-term gains and focus on their company’s long-term health and success.
As a CISO, her job requires top-notch tech skills, but what sets her apart is her bravery in making tough decisions. “Being brave is key,” Merritt says. “I focus on making fair choices, not on being liked. What’s important is how these choices affect our company’s future.”
Her commitment to this leadership style has shaped the way her teams work. By valuing honesty over comfort, she creates a space for her team to speak their minds and decide based on what’s best for the company rather than the easiest.
This way of leading is crucial in cybersecurity, where the costs of pleasing people over making tough choices can be very high. Merritt’s ability to stay true to her values, even when delivering bad news, has made her a deeply respected leader. She sets an example that encourages and inspires others to lead with integrity.
Using Automation and Delegation in Leadership
“Automation in security isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about empowering decision-making at every level.”
In the fast-changing tech world, Merritt expertly balances automation and delegation. Her key idea is simple: to make routine work automated, for extraordinary outcomes. By automating everyday tasks, Merritt ensures her team can focus on bigger, more important projects that require human insight and decision-making skills.
This strategy is vital in her role as a CISO, where responding quickly and effectively to new challenges can mean the difference between staying safe or being at risk. “It’s crucial to have systems that handle simple, repeatable tasks,” Merritt explains. “This lets us focus on the big issues that need our full attention.”
Merritt also believes strongly in delegation, which is about building trust and responsibility in her team. She gives her team members big decisions to make, which helps them grow their skills and confidence. This approach helps create a strong organization where leadership is shared, not just held at the top.
Her methods have proven effective, smoothing routine tasks and keeping the team ready for more complex challenges. Merritt’s use of automation and delegation not only improves teamwork but also promotes deeper, lasting team and organizational health.
Handling Meetings with Boards
Merritt is great at dealing with the dynamics in high-level meetings. She shows a deep understanding of how big companies are run and how to communicate strategically. Her role as CISO has taught her to balance following rules with introducing new ideas in these meetings.
“Meetings with boards are usually very structured,” Merritt points out. But she makes sure her talks do more than meet expectations. They also bring up new topics that are important for the board to understand security changes as business calculations.
Her skill in managing these dynamics is not just about sharing information; it’s about teaching and guiding the boards. Merritt prepares carefully, sharing materials ahead of time to give everyone a chance to understand complex issues. During meetings, she makes sure to discuss both risks and new solutions. This not only helps with decision-making but also positions her as a leader in the team.
Her effective communication during these meetings significantly impacts the company’s direction, especially regarding security. By managing these dynamics well, Merritt ensures that security is critical to the company’s overall strategy. Her proactive and informed approach in these interactions highlights the crucial role of CISOs in shaping company policies and strategy today.
Career Advice and Growing Professionally
Merritt’s journey in cybersecurity shows her strategic embrace of growth and openness to good career advice. Early in her career, a mentor’s advice greatly impacted her: “If they’re not saying no to you, then you’re not trying hard enough.” This advice has guided her to take on challenges and see failure as a step towards success.
This mindset has driven Merritt to seek out challenges, actively pushing past typical career limits. Her approach to growing her career is about more than just gaining skills. It’s about putting oneself in challenging roles to stretch and grow. “Don’t count yourself out,” Merritt advises. She encourages taking on roles that push your limits, as real growth happens when you stretch beyond your current skills.
Merritt also tells upcoming leaders to build resilience and keep learning. She promotes a proactive approach to career growth, encouraging individuals to take charge of their development. By pushing her team to adopt this mindset, Merritt speeds up her growth and builds a culture of continuous improvement in her workplace.
By sharing these insights, Merritt shows the way for her own success and lights the path for others, proving that reaching the top is often a collective effort enriched by shared wisdom.
Building and Using a Professional Network
Merritt’s rise is not just about her skills but also her innovative use of a solid professional network. Knowing that moving up often depends on your connections, Merritt has mastered the art of real networking—more than just chatting at events.
She says networking is about making meaningful connections that last and support each other over time. Merritt urges new professionals to connect with people at all levels and from different fields. This broadens one’s view and boosts one’s ability to innovate and solve problems by tapping into a diverse set of skills and experiences.
Merritt is especially skilled at using her network to promote knowledge sharing. In her words, “No one has to go down, for you to go up.” She often meets with less experienced team members, offering support and reinforcing her role as a leader committed to helping others grow. By being active in her network, she ensures that her connections are two-way streets, where she both gives and gets insights, strengthening professional bonds.
Her networking strategy goes beyond personal advancement. It includes sharing her expertise and learning from others’ successes and challenges. This keeps her at the top of her field and builds her reputation as a leader who truly cares about the growth and success of the professional community. Through strategic networking, Merritt shows that making connections is more than climbing the career ladder; it’s about creating a thriving ecosystem where everyone can succeed.
Drawing from Merritt’s bold approach to leadership and networking in the challenging field of cybersecurity, it’s clear that embracing these principles can bring significant changes to any organization. If you want your organization to do better in today’s world of tech and leadership challenges, consider these steps to move forward:
- Lead with Openness and Integrity: Encourage a leadership style that values honesty and integrity. Ask leaders to make tough decisions and talk openly, building a trusting and accountable workplace.
- Use Automation Wisely: Find and automate processes that can be made automatic to boost efficiency and reduce mistakes. This lets your people focus on more significant, strategic projects.
- Build and Keep a Strong Network: Push your team to network for themselves and as a strategic tool for the company. Create an environment where sharing knowledge and developing professionally are priorities, improving everyone’s skills.
- Security Decisions are Business Decisions : Give your leaders the tools and knowledge they need to handle big decisions well. This includes training in tech and soft skills like critical thinking and handling crises.
- Everyone Had to Learn it at Some Point : Push for ongoing professional development at all levels. By investing in your team’s growth, you make sure your company stays competitive and ready for new challenges and tech.
By bringing these ideas from Merritt’s leadership into your company strategy, you can lead better in today’s digital world. Adopt these strategies to encourage new ideas, enhance security, and build a strong future for your company.
Merritt Baer’s journey as a CISO at Reco AI exemplifies the transformative power of visionary leadership and a commitment to strategic innovation in cybersecurity. Her insights provide a valuable roadmap for those looking to navigate the complexities of technology and leadership with courage and foresight. Reflecting on the lessons shared, it is clear that Merritt’s approach to leadership—marked by transparency, strategic networking, and a relentless pursuit of efficiency—can serve as a beacon for current and aspiring leaders aiming to excel in an increasingly digital world. Let us carry forward the wisdom and strategies discussed, inspired by Merritt’s exemplary career, to cultivate environments that anticipate the challenges of tomorrow and forge paths toward sustainable success in the ever-evolving technology and security landscape.
Merritt Baer is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Reco AI and advisor to Andesite, expanso, and Level 6 Cybersecurity. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Black Girls Hack and on the Business Industry Leadership Team at Miami Dade College.
