What is the First 90 Days course about?
How to establish influence fast with leadership teams when stepping into a new security role Each order is checked and updated against the latest insights before delivery. That is why access takes up to 24 hours rather than being instant.
What situation is the First 90 Days for?
New security leaders often present technically sound plans that fail to resonate with business priorities, leading to delayed buy-in, repeated revisions, and missed momentum in the critical first 90 days.
Who is the First 90 Days course for?
Head of Information Security stepping into a new role or recently promoted, responsible for aligning security initiatives with business leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
What do you take away from the First 90 Days course?
Confidently present a 90-day plan that aligns security objectives with business outcomes Reduce executive feedback loops by framing controls in business terms Establish early credibility through structured, evidence-backed narratives Navigate cross-functional dependencies without slowing execution Turn initial skepticism into sustained executive sponsorship.
How does this map to your situation?
Onboarding into a new security leadership role Aligning security with business objectives Presenting to executives and cross-functional leaders Gaining buy-in for security initiatives.
What's included with your purchase?
12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters) Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access 30-day money-back guarantee.
What does the First 90 Days cover on delivery and format?
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access. Time investment: Approximately 6-8 hours total, designed for completion in focused 20-minute sessions.
How does this compare to the alternatives?
Unlike generic leadership courses, this program delivers specific, implementation-grade tools for security leaders, focused exclusively on the first 90 days of influence-building with executives.
Closely related courses: First 90 Days as CISO, AI-Driven Leadership in the First 90 Days.
More answers: what you get with every course, refund policy, all help answers.
A tailored course, built for your situation
First 90 Days: Building Security Credibility and Executive Alignment
How to establish influence fast with leadership teams when stepping into a new security role
Each order is checked and updated against the latest insights before delivery. That is why access takes up to 24 hours rather than being instant.
The situation this course is for
New security leaders often present technically sound plans that fail to resonate with business priorities, leading to delayed buy-in, repeated revisions, and missed momentum in the critical first 90 days.
Who this is for
Head of Information Security stepping into a new role or recently promoted, responsible for aligning security initiatives with business leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
Who this is not for
Individual contributors focused on technical implementation, consultants without executive access, or practitioners not involved in strategic planning cycles
What you walk away with
- Confidently present a 90-day plan that aligns security objectives with business outcomes
- Reduce executive feedback loops by framing controls in business terms
- Establish early credibility through structured, evidence-backed narratives
- Navigate cross-functional dependencies without slowing execution
- Turn initial skepticism into sustained executive sponsorship
The 12 modules (with all 144 chapters)
- Identifying the top three business drivers for security alignment
- Connecting regulatory requirements to operational resilience goals
- Using financial metrics to justify security investments
- Translating technical risk into leadership language
- Benchmarking security maturity against peer organizations
- Documenting alignment assumptions for early validation
- Creating a business impact score for control gaps
- Prioritizing initiatives based on executive sensitivity
- Building a shared vocabulary with non-technical leaders
- Integrating security into quarterly business planning cycles
- Linking incident response readiness to customer trust
- Validating alignment with informal stakeholder interviews
- Mapping stakeholders by influence and awareness level
- Identifying hidden gatekeepers in procurement and legal
- Understanding department-specific risk appetites
- Documenting communication preferences for each leader
- Anticipating objections from finance and operations teams
- Recognizing power dynamics in cross-functional meetings
- Using org charts to uncover reporting relationships
- Tracking past project approvals to predict support
- Engaging compliance officers as early advocates
- Leveraging HR to understand cultural readiness
- Assessing change tolerance across business units
- Building a stakeholder engagement timeline
- Structuring the first 10-minute executive summary
- Opening with business context, not technical findings
- Using storytelling techniques to frame risk scenarios
- Including visual evidence of current control posture
- Highlighting quick wins with measurable impact
- Addressing known concerns before they’re raised
- Aligning timeline with upcoming audit or renewal cycles
- Preparing backup data for anticipated questions
- Balancing confidence with transparency on gaps
- Incorporating peer benchmarks for credibility
- Using tone that reflects leadership expectations
- Testing messaging with a trusted advisor first
- Defining success criteria for each 30-day phase
- Selecting initiatives that deliver visible value early
- Sequencing projects to build on prior momentum
- Incorporating feedback loops after each milestone
- Aligning delivery dates with fiscal or reporting cycles
- Reserving capacity for unplanned escalations
- Documenting dependencies on other teams
- Setting realistic expectations for policy adoption
- Planning communication touchpoints across phases
- Including metrics that leadership will track
- Anticipating resource constraints in execution
- Adjusting scope based on early stakeholder input
- Defining handoff points between security and IT teams
- Establishing escalation paths for urgent issues
- Creating joint review cycles with compliance
- Documenting approval workflows for access changes
- Standardizing incident reporting across departments
- Aligning patch management schedules with operations
- Building vendor risk assessment templates for procurement
- Integrating security into onboarding and offboarding
- Coordinating tabletop exercises with business units
- Sharing metrics between teams without oversharing
- Resolving ownership conflicts in control implementation
- Maintaining version control for shared documentation
- Translating CVSS scores into operational downtime estimates
- Estimating customer churn risk from data exposure
- Calculating potential revenue impact of compliance failures
- Using insurance premiums to illustrate risk levels
- Comparing risk posture to industry loss benchmarks
- Framing phishing risk in terms of productivity loss
- Linking third-party risks to supply chain disruptions
- Presenting ransomware likelihood with financial modeling
- Using reputational risk as a measurable outcome
- Connecting security outcomes to ESG reporting goals
- Tailoring risk messages to audience priorities
- Avoiding technical jargon in executive summaries
- Selecting low-effort, high-visibility improvement areas
- Measuring baseline performance before intervention
- Announcing progress through existing communication channels
- Securing leadership acknowledgment of improvements
- Documenting changes for future audit readiness
- Leveraging wins to request broader access
- Using success stories in team morale building
- Timing announcements to coincide with business events
- Highlighting collaboration with other departments
- Capturing testimonials from peer leaders
- Tracking stakeholder sentiment shifts post-win
- Reinforcing wins in follow-up briefing materials
- Classifying feedback as strategic, tactical, or cosmetic
- Responding to revisions with clear rationale and options
- Tracking changes to maintain version integrity
- Scheduling dedicated review windows to avoid chaos
- Using annotated documents to clarify decisions
- Setting boundaries on scope creep during early phases
- Incorporating legal and compliance input efficiently
- Balancing stakeholder demands with technical feasibility
- Communicating trade-offs in leadership language
- Maintaining ownership of the final plan direction
- Documenting approved exceptions for audit trail
- Closing feedback loops with confirmation messages
- Mapping security into existing committee structures
- Aligning reporting frequency with current rhythms
- Using standard template formats for consistency
- Contributing to enterprise risk management reports
- Participating in strategic planning sessions
- Integrating with capital planning processes
- Aligning with internal audit schedules
- Feeding data into operational review dashboards
- Supporting board-level summaries without direct access
- Working within approved policy frameworks
- Adapting to change management office requirements
- Synchronizing with enterprise architecture roadmaps
- Timing requests to match budget planning windows
- Using ROI models to support investment cases
- Comparing costs to industry benchmarks
- Highlighting cost avoidance from proactive measures
- Breaking down requests into phased funding
- Aligning headcount needs with organizational growth
- Leveraging audit findings as justification triggers
- Presenting options with clear trade-offs
- Including vendor quotes for credibility
- Anticipating finance team questions on utilization
- Documenting long-term savings from early investment
- Gaining informal buy-in before formal submission
- Defining your leadership philosophy in one page
- Articulating your core principles for decision-making
- Sharing your background and relevant experience selectively
- Explaining your approach to risk tolerance
- Describing how you balance speed and security
- Communicating your expectations for team behavior
- Demonstrating consistency across meetings and messages
- Adapting tone for different audiences
- Using personal anecdotes to build relatability
- Addressing past challenges with transparency
- Reinforcing your narrative through action
- Inviting feedback on your leadership style
- Scheduling regular check-ins with key stakeholders
- Publishing progress updates on a predictable cadence
- Introducing new initiatives based on prior success
- Expanding scope with demonstrated credibility
- Building a peer network across functions
- Mentoring junior staff to extend reach
- Contributing to enterprise strategy discussions
- Refining messaging based on feedback trends
- Updating the roadmap quarterly with leadership
- Tracking long-term metrics for continuous improvement
- Celebrating team achievements publicly
- Revisiting stakeholder maps as org changes occur
How this maps to your situation
- Onboarding into a new security leadership role
- Aligning security with business objectives
- Presenting to executives and cross-functional leaders
- Gaining buy-in for security initiatives
Before vs. after
What's included with your purchase
- 12 modules with 12 chapters each (144 chapters)
- Downloadable templates and worked examples for every module
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Delivery and format
- Course and learning environment access provisioned within 24 hours of purchase
- Hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access
Format: Text-based modules and chapters in the Art of Service learning environment, plus downloadable templates and worked examples for every chapter, plus the hand-built implementation playbook delivered alongside course access.
Time investment: Approximately 6-8 hours total, designed for completion in focused 20-minute sessions.
How this compares to the alternatives
Unlike generic leadership courses, this program delivers specific, implementation-grade tools for security leaders, focused exclusively on the first 90 days of influence-building with executives.
Frequently asked
Within 24 hours your account in the learning environment is provisioned and the tailored implementation playbook is delivered alongside it.