The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16.
Next is Neal Frick, CEO of CyberCore Technologies, and a finalist in the Supply Chain Executive of the Year, Private Company & Public Company category. Here, he shares proud organizational moments and career advice.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
In 2018, I was part of the creation of the WindRose product for CyberCore, which was the natural evolution of our secure supply chain platform. WindRose is a vendor vetting tool that allows customers to look at threats to their supply chain through non-cooperative means and get a risk assessment.
Beyond the exciting practical application of the product, it was thrilling to be part of the organization’s evolution and help our incredibly talented employees make their ideas a reality. A leader’s purpose is to be materially additive, to uplift the people around them, and to take the company to the next level. It was incredible to be able to take something that CyberCore had been doing for 20 years and help shepherd a new offering onto the market.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
I think there are three key components of advancing your career regardless of your current level or position. Seek knowledge, listen to people with different perspectives, and practice humility.
Go out and learn from people who are doing what you want to be doing. There are thought leaders doing incredible things in their industries and sharing their experiences. Read what they have to say, take what resonates, and apply it.
Listen to the people around you at every level and in every position. One of the biggest killers of innovation is when someone shuts down ideas because they’re new and different. “That’s not the way I do things,” is a statement that should only be made if someone is asking you to do something unethical. Exposure to diverse ways of thinking will challenge your worldview and make you a better leader and a more well-rounded person.
Finally, practice humility. You do not know everything. Even if you’re an expert. Humble leaders get more out of their teams because they lead by example: they show their teams that it’s okay to fail. That it’s okay to be human. Humble leaders are more approachable, which leads to more robust and honest communication.
None of us succeed alone. If you feel like you’re on an island, build a boat.