You know that person everyone goes to with their tech problems? "My laptop's acting weird!" "Is this email sketchy?" "Help, I can't access the shared drive!"

I love these interactions. As a GRC leader, I'm constantly hunting for these natural security champions in our organization. But here's what drives me absolutely nuts: the executives who shrug off security concerns like they're suggestions for the office Christmas party theme.

If you're reading this, I bet you've felt that same frustration.

There's a security consulting firm in my city with the slogan "Changing the world of security, one user at a time." It's inspiring. It's also complete nonsense.

For years, I've been obsessed with getting individuals to adopt secure behaviors. I've tried everything: security-by-default configurations, behavioral nudges, gamification, slick video content, community building... you name it. Notice what's missing from that list? Traditional security awareness training.

Why? Because "we need more security training" is usually what people say when they have nothing useful to contribute. It materializes usually in those mandatory corporate videos we all pretend to watch while answering emails. It's compliance theater at its finest.

But recently, I stumbled across an approach that completely flipped my thinking: What if instead of trying to educate thousands of employees, we focused laser-sharp on transforming the handful of executives who actually run the show?

The Leadership Leverage Point

Here's the uncomfortable truth about organizational change: metrics don't matter if nobody uses them.

I spent the last year building beautiful risk dashboards, compliance tracking systems, and predictive analytics tools. The data was clean, the insights were actionable, and the initial results looked fantastic. Then leadership changed, and the new executives defaulted to what they knew. All that progress? Gone.

I recently listened to an episode of Freakonomics podcast which tells the story of how the University of Chicago tried to fix policing by improving data and processes across thousands of departments. It failed because they couldn't scale leadership understanding. When trained managers left, their replacements had no clue how to use the new systems.

Sound familiar?

The breakthrough came when organizations shifted focus: instead of training 400,000 officers to follow procedures, they invested in training 4,000 leaders to build better departments.

Security Leadership Isn't What You Think

The most successful security transformations I've seen don't happen because executives memorize the NIST framework or learn to spot phishing emails. They happen when leaders genuinely understand how security connects to business outcomes.

The magic happens in three areas:

Strategic Integration: Executives who see security as a competitive advantage, not a cost center. They naturally weave risk considerations into hiring, project planning, and vendor decisions.

Cultural Psychology: Leaders who understand that lasting behavior change comes from motivation, not mandates. They know how to make security feel like a shared mission rather than imposed restrictions.

Peer Networks: When security becomes part of executive identity, it spreads horizontally through leadership ranks faster than any training program ever could.

The Multiplier Effect is Real

When a VP genuinely cares about security, their entire organization feels it. Not because they send stern emails about password policies, but because security considerations naturally flow into every decision they influence.

Their hiring managers start asking about security experience. Their project managers build risk assessment into planning cycles. Their teams actually engage with security requirements instead of treating them as roadblocks.

Security stops being "the team that says no" and becomes part of how business gets done.

Here's My Challenge to You

We have limited time and energy. The question isn't whether we can educate every employee—it's whether we're focusing our efforts where they'll create the biggest impact.

I'm convinced that converting a dozen senior leaders into security advocates beats running awareness campaigns for a thousand employees. The intimacy of executive education allows for deeper conversations, more sophisticated thinking, and sustainable behavioral change.

Plus, let's be honest: most awareness training is forgettable corporate content. Executive sessions can be engaging, strategic discussions that leaders actually want to attend.

What's your experience? Have you successfully converted senior executives into genuine security advocates? Or are you still stuck in the "awareness training for everyone" mindset?

The future of organizational security might depend on our ability to think smaller and aim higher.