4 - The Security Director’s Role

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the role played by a Security Director in an organization. A director is ranked at the highest level of middle management and ordinarily reports to a member of senior management such as the company president or a vice president (VP). Some Security Directors are vice presidents and, as such, are part of the lower levels of senior management, who often report to a senior VP or executive VP, if not the President or Chief Executive Officer (CEO). An effective Security Director should have a track record of success in handling people and problems and he or she should be a dynamic, results-oriented individual with a high level of personal integrity. The director should also have the ability to develop organizational plans, to evaluate personnel and their assignments, and to provide direction to the security function. Within the Security Department the Director's role is that of leading rather than operational decision making, whereas the Manager of a smaller department is more directly involved in operations. In the leadership role, the mark of a good Director or Manager is the ability to delegate responsibility and commensurate authority. Outside of his or her own department, the effective Security Director should be a highly visible company executive, a part of the management team with interests that go beyond security. In his or her relationship with security staff, the Director should be an innovator, counselor, trainer, goal setter, and strategic planner. The Security Director moving into a new company or position should seek a lower profile initially and should be very conservative in terms of making changes, unless such change is badly and conspicuously needed. He or she should not seek to force events and people but should lead with patience and example.