The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 11 at the The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
Next is Chief Information Security Officer (Private & Public) finalist Michael Baker, who’s CISO at General Dynamics Information Technology. Here, he talks key recent achievements, career turning points, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021/2022?
We stuck together as a team. 2021 was a challenging year that brought about continued stress as much outside of the job as inside the job. As a team, we continued to fight all year long.
This included doubling down on leading with empathy, embracing a hybrid workforce and providing needed flexibility, along with meeting the challenges around evolving and sophisticated cyber threats.
We achieved a great deal of risk reduction and technical achievements as well, yet sticking together and staying in the fight was our best achievement.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
We are most proud of the work we do to support our nation’s most critical missions. Whether that is directly supporting our customers or providing the tools needed to function, we all play a part in this singular goal.
Working with teams that remain committed to this mission day in and day out makes me proud to log in and get to work
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Continuing to evolve along with the cyber threats we are facing. We have moved from the theoretical possibilities to the demonstrative impact of these threat coming to fruition. This requires agility not just in capability, but also in thinking.
Continuing to lean in with our customers and anchoring our strategy around zero trust is paramount moving forward. Challenging operational inertia, driving continuous culture change and embracing the art of the possible is needed to meet existing and arising cyber threats.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Putting the team first. Putting the business first. Investing in deep relationships where trust is the foundation. Investing in your teams’ careers, their interests and their passions.
Understanding the business you are in and how cyber can help enable growth and success. Distilling complex technical topics into the needed details for business leaders to make the most informed decisions. Taking the time to develop and practice the skills necessary to recognize the value of diverse perspectives.
At the end of the day, if I can say I did all those things, I have achieved success.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
Turning points in my career can always be linked to working with a strong leader that challenges me to step outside of my comfort zone. A comfort zone is safe and minimizes fear. Being challenged throughout my career caused me to realize that if something scares me or gives me doubts, that I am in the right place with the right mission and pushing my personal leadership envelope.
I owe this perspective to all the strong leaders I have worked with in the past and it has framed the type of leader I want to be in the future.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Commit fully to servant leadership and just show up. Make the time to mentor and train the next generation of leaders. Prioritize this as much as anything else on the list. Give newer professionals a chance to break in and learn through apprenticeship.
Hold people accountable, but afford them the grace to fail and learn. Have the hard and challenging conversations and prioritize soft skills just as much as technical skills. Give more to others and do not expect anything in return.