SE01E122 - Cybersecurity, Leadership, and the Power of People I Chase F

In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Bill Lennan sits down with Chase F., Chairperson of the National Privacy Council, to discuss leadership, cybersecurity, privacy, career growth, failure, and the importance of building strong teams. Chase shares his unique journey from a 20-year career in law enforcement to cybersecurity, IT leadership, teaching, entrepreneurship, and privacy advocacy. He explains how his experience as a detective, undercover officer, dive master, and field training officer shaped his approach to leadership and helped him transition into the technology and cybersecurity space. The conversation explores why cybersecurity is ultimately a people and culture problem, not just a technology problem. Chase explains why organizations need to focus on cybersecurity education for everyone, not just IT teams, and why executive buy-in is critical to building an effective security culture. Bill and Chase also discuss the human side of cybersecurity, incident response, AI adoption, critical thinking, and why organizations should focus on people rather than relying solely on expensive security tools and technology. Chase shares lessons from running multiple companies and ventures, including why leaders need to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses, build teams with complementary skills, and find the right people to help achieve a shared mission. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness and why leaders should avoid trying to imitate someone else's leadership style. The conversation also dives into career advancement, networking, hard work, company culture, and why being known as a reliable and hardworking professional can open doors throughout your career. Chase explains why companies should treat employees with respect and dignity, listen to their people, and create environments where teams are motivated to go the extra mile. Bill and Chase also explore the value of failure and why some of the most important lessons in leadership and life come from mistakes. Chase shares why he believes leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed through dedication, practice, passion, and self-awareness. Topics covered in this episode: Chase F.'s journey from law enforcement to cybersecurity leadership Leadership lessons from law enforcement Cybersecurity and privacy leadership Building a strong cybersecurity culture Why cybersecurity is a people problem The importance of employee cybersecurity training Executive buy-in and security culture Cyber crisis response and incident preparedness AI, critical thinking, and the human factor Leading multiple companies and ventures Building teams with complementary strengths Self-awareness in leadership Finding your own authentic leadership style Career advancement and professional growth Networking and the importance of relationships Hard work, accountability, and building trust Company culture and treating employees with respect Learning from failure Taking risks and overcoming fear Why leadership can be learned Building leadership skills through practice and experience Learn more about leadership, cybersecurity, privacy, AI, technology, and career growth on the 40% Better Podcast. Connect with Chase F. on LinkedIn -   / chaseprivacy   #Leadership #Cybersecurity #Privacy #TechnologyLeadership #CybersecurityLeadership #AI #Management #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #ChaseF #NationalPrivacyCouncil #40PercentBetter I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team Connect with Bill on LinkedIn:   / wblennan   Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/ Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMP... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01a... #40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. #technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast