The biggest skill set gaps in the security industry are business acumen, strategic capabilities and an entrepreneurial mindset, according to Kathy Lavinder, owner of Security & Investigative Placement Consultants and a well-known recruiter in the security industry.
Next month, ASIS International will hold its 57th Annual Seminar and Exhibits. The event, September 19-22 in Orlando, will include keynotes from Jeb Bush and Vicente Fox, in addition to education tracks about workplace violence, security leadership and more.
This issue of Security magazine features the most influential people in security. An annual spotlight, the list boasts the best and brightest. But anyone can be influential, one way or another. Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another, said Napoleon Hill, the author of many success books. A Time magazine poll of the most influential people recently found Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao on top. If you know him from the boxing ring, his influence spread wider last year when he won a seat in his country’s Congress — and won it by a landslide.
In the world of sports, it’s all about reaching the next level: the World Cup in soccer, the Stanley Cup in hockey, the Masters in golf, the World Series in baseball, the Super Bowl in football and the U.S. Open in tennis, among others. Name the sport, there’s a championship to win. But first, the facilities – the stadiums, arenas, golf courses and other facilities in which the sports are played – have to be secure.
Adding business value. Getting a seat at the table. Running security like a business. Aligning security with the organization. These are the contents of the Holy Grail of security leadership. Everybody talks about them. Everybody wants them. But most security leaders view them as the stuff of legend – great for motivation, but unattainable in reality.
What does it take to motivate today’s security officer? If you know, please tell me. I have tried to get the most from every worker I encounter. When I fail, I cannot help but wonder what is wrong with my approach or with me. I’m open to new ideas and will read what the latest experts have to say. Lately, I have been motivated to try the suggestions from two authors who wrote books on motivation and human nature: one book by Daniel Pink titled “Drive - The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” is a look beyond the traditional carrot and stick approach. The other is by Paul Lawrence and Nitin Nohria and is titled “Driven How Human Nature Shapes our Choices.” I think motivation and choices are two inseparable concepts.
The war for talent is ramping up and any business owner, hiring manager, or HR pro will tell they’re receiving plenty of applicants, but how many of them are truly qualified?
A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) workplace violence survey found that more than 50% of the respondents were concerned that workplace violence might occur at their organization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 564 work-related homicides occurred each year in the United States from 2004 to 2008.
One of my favorite quotes, hung prominently in my office, reads: “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” —Peter F. Drucker But what are those “right things?” What makes a good leader?
Sometimes finding the solution to a security problem is about changing how you look at it. This can be a challenge, particularly if the problem is costly or is a significant safety threat. Our first reaction may be to find the most familiar or simplest way to make an immediate impact on the issue. But true security leadership requires us to stop and think about the problem through the eyes of the business and its goals, and to change our tactics based on what we see. One good example of this is how companies have dealt with the problem of theft of copper and other valuable metals.