Review of The Smartest Person in the Room
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Ann Dan
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- Latest Review: The Smartest Person in the Room by Christian Espinosa
Review of The Smartest Person in the Room
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Smartest Person in the Room" by Christian Espinosa.]
In The Smartest Person in the Room, author Christian Espinosa attributes the lack of effective cybersecurity solutions to the lack of people skills in technical people. It’s an eye-opening view from a cybersecurity expert.
Technical gurus, particularly in the cybersecurity industry, are focused on being the smartest people in the room, as their need for certainty and significance is their primary motivator. They will solve a cybersecurity problem on their own which validates their skills but is too complex and costly. Instead, seeing the problem through the eyes of the customer leads to a much simpler, more effective solution. This requires open communications with others, which most technical people find difficult.
Christian’s experience of having hired many cybersecurity people, in addition to his personal journey, leads to this viewpoint. His own transformation from a technical geek to an empathetic, responsive and productive human being is noteworthy.
Christian sets forth his 7-part Secure Methodology to help company owners develop the people skills lacking in their technical people. The book delves into each of these areas with insightful ideas and exercises. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations and diagrams which help the reader grasp the concepts quickly. Every section is followed by a bullet list of to-dos which keeps everything organized. The book is well edited with no errors.
There is an urgency in Christian’s message. He emphasizes that compliance with the typical cybersecurity list of “rules” is not enough to keep a company safe from hackers. Much more is needed – technical people need to lead with their hearts, body, and people skills instead of just their heads. Only when armed with an openness towards other ideas can they effectively develop and implement the solutions that can win cyberwars.
One thing not mentioned was an estimate of the amount of time it takes to build people skills. Even with the ideas laid out, changing the attitude and behavior of people may not happen quickly. But companies need to dedicate enough time for this, as the importance of the task is undisputable.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is an excellent selection for information about the technical employee mindset. It is also applicable to any employee, technical or not, who could use a boost in connecting with other people. There are a lot of good ideas to help create positive change. Any business owner, especially those with a cybersecurity team, would benefit from the thoughts and solutions presented.
******
The Smartest Person in the Room
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In The Smartest Person in the Room, author Christian Espinosa attributes the lack of effective cybersecurity solutions to the lack of people skills in technical people. It’s an eye-opening view from a cybersecurity expert.
Technical gurus, particularly in the cybersecurity industry, are focused on being the smartest people in the room, as their need for certainty and significance is their primary motivator. They will solve a cybersecurity problem on their own which validates their skills but is too complex and costly. Instead, seeing the problem through the eyes of the customer leads to a much simpler, more effective solution. This requires open communications with others, which most technical people find difficult.
Christian’s experience of having hired many cybersecurity people, in addition to his personal journey, leads to this viewpoint. His own transformation from a technical geek to an empathetic, responsive and productive human being is noteworthy.
Christian sets forth his 7-part Secure Methodology to help company owners develop the people skills lacking in their technical people. The book delves into each of these areas with insightful ideas and exercises. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations and diagrams which help the reader grasp the concepts quickly. Every section is followed by a bullet list of to-dos which keeps everything organized. The book is well edited with no errors.
There is an urgency in Christian’s message. He emphasizes that compliance with the typical cybersecurity list of “rules” is not enough to keep a company safe from hackers. Much more is needed – technical people need to lead with their hearts, body, and people skills instead of just their heads. Only when armed with an openness towards other ideas can they effectively develop and implement the solutions that can win cyberwars.
One thing not mentioned was an estimate of the amount of time it takes to build people skills. Even with the ideas laid out, changing the attitude and behavior of people may not happen quickly. But companies need to dedicate enough time for this, as the importance of the task is undisputable.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is an excellent selection for information about the technical employee mindset. It is also applicable to any employee, technical or not, who could use a boost in connecting with other people. There are a lot of good ideas to help create positive change. Any business owner, especially those with a cybersecurity team, would benefit from the thoughts and solutions presented.
******
The Smartest Person in the Room
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Smartest Person in the Room by Christian Espinosa
