Security Leadership Strategy, Communication
& Execution

"Brian challenged us to think beyond the technical side of security and really understand how to lead, communicate with executives, and connect cybersecurity to real business outcomes"

"This executive communications and leadership course was outstanding. It is an intensive format with the opportunity to role-play what you learn throughout the course. I highly recommend to anyone looking to elevate their skills in this area."

The CCLS course fundamentally changed how I communicate with executives and boards. I came in thinking the job was to present information clearly; I left understanding that the speaker matters far less than the listener. The most important skill isn't what you say, it's framing the message around what your audience actually needs to hear to make a decision. The financial communication piece was eye-opening, learning to translate technical and security realities into the language a board understands and cares about. But the real takeaway was the process: how to structure a conversation with executives so it actually drives a result, not just delivers a report. That framework has already made me measurably more effective in the boardroom. If you're responsible for communicating up to leadership and want your message to land, this course is worth every minute.

My experience at CCLS was extremely valuable, a large part of which was Brian’s ability to distill years of real-world experience into practical, immediately applicable insights. The engagement in the room also stood out. Participants challenged each other constructively, which elevated the quality of discussion and pushed everyone to step outside of our comfort zones, which is what truly fosters professional growth. At F12, we already seeing the impact in our work, and I refer to some of the insights that I gained multiple times a week in our internal strategy meetings. I am also seeing benefits when talking to customers, especially in my ability to elevate conversations with executives and focus on more strategic, value-driven dialogue.

The CCLS Course was a starkly unique and better experience of uplifting the CISO technical mindset to one of business acumen than any other certificate or certification course I have participated in. Over three days, Brian Blakely shepherded us from the translation of security detail to high-level corporate and board-level governance. The course flow was perfect, starting with mindset challenges to identifying critical business functions to proving risk reduction with a planned governance approach. Throughout the course, Brian helped us practice this new “language” with role playing, to ensure our understanding of the content matched with real-life scenarios. In the few months since attending the course, I have applied what I learned a handful of times during crucial conversations. The outcome reflected the maturity and leadership skills that I have wanted to capture for years. I highly recommend the CCLS for any MSP/MSSP CISO or security leadership role.