In this activity, we’re going to focus on the experiences in leadership roles or being part of a team. Reflect on these experiences and think about how you’ve demonstrated virtuous leadership or contributed to creating an ethical culture within the team.
Here are some fictive examples to help guide your reflection:
1. Leading an Incident Response Team
Imagine you’ve been leading an incident response team. During a critical incident, instead of placing blame on team members for any oversight, you’ve focused on coordinating a swift and effective response. You’ve shown patience and courage, leading by example and fostering a culture of accountability, rather than blame.
2. Being Part of a Security Audit Team
Suppose you’re part of a team performing security audits for your organization. You have always maintained integrity by ensuring your audits are comprehensive and unbiased. You’ve promoted open communication within your team, encouraging members to share their findings without fear, thus contributing to an ethical and transparent culture.
3. Leading a Cybersecurity Transformation Project
As a project leader for a cybersecurity transformation in your company, you’ve balanced between achieving security objectives and respecting the concerns and comfort levels of different stakeholders. You’ve shown prudence and empathy, helping foster a culture that values security without dismissing the human element of change management.
Activity Template for Teachers
As a teacher, guide your students in reflecting on their experiences using the following questions:
- Recalling Experiences: Can you remember a leadership role you’ve held or a team you’ve been a part of? Describe the role or the team and your contributions to it.
- Identifying Virtuous Actions: How have you demonstrated virtuous leadership in this role? Or, if you were a team member, how did you contribute to creating an ethical culture within the team?
- Reflecting on Impact: How did your actions affect the team and its operations? Can you recall any specific instances where your virtuous leadership or contribution significantly influenced the team’s actions or decisions?
- Planning for the Future: Based on your reflection, are there ways you could improve or further enhance your virtuous leadership or contribution to an ethical team culture? Identify concrete steps to achieve this.
This exercise encourages students to understand how individual actions and behaviors can significantly impact a team’s ethical culture, emphasizing the importance of virtuous leadership in cybersecurity.