“Leaders are busy doing the things critics say can’t be done.”  You may have seen this quote before.  I read it in a book last week.*

As OPSEC Managers your creativity and the ability to see the road ahead are paramount if you wish to have any level of a successful OPSEC Program.  Beyond that is the fortitude to not only see the vision but to act on that vision.  As an OPSEC Manager you are frequently alone in your passion to push the program but you must not let this stop you.  You’ve got to be like The Bandit and have that “..we’re gonna do what they say can’t be done” attitude.  Rare is the unit/company who shouts Hallelujah! when the new OPSEC Manager shows up.  Rare are the times you will walk into a meeting and all will hail you as the savior of the mission.  Rarer still is the man or woman who can keep running into this wall of denial until it is broken down.

The sad fact is that you just may be the only one who truly cares about OPSEC.  At least this is the attitude that you need to have.  Don’t let people fool you - they don’t care…not really.  I’ve interviewed a number of OPSEC Managers who are quite sure they have the support of the people in their organization.  And I’ll ask them; “How’s your program working?  And they’ll go on and on about all the great stuff they’ve done.  Unfortunately, I get a different story when I interview people within the organization.  Invariably, members of the unit have no idea who their OPSEC Manager is and if they do actually know a name, they have no idea what the OPSEC program means to their mission.  What about you?  What about those of you who may have been hired or hand-picked as the OPSEC Manager?  Surely, you care about OPSEC.  Right?  Well, maybe.  And maybe not.  I’ve seen a lot of people get burned out by OPSEC because of the abnormally high frustration levels associated with repeatedly trying to accomplish something you know is right and getting beat down by leadership or those who run the mission.  I mean, you are just the OPSEC guy or gal, right?  Not only have I seen this - I’ve experienced it first hand, and it’s not pretty. 

You try to do a good job and you either don’t have the support of the big dogs or you’re kept too busy doing other “more important” tasks or, maybe, just maybe, you don’t really care about OPSEC at all.  Maybe it’s just a paycheck or a silly little additional duty.  I’ve met these people and I can see it in their eyes.  You can tell they just don’t have a passion for this stuff.  I can’t explain it but I’ll be honest with you - the passionate people are in the minority.  And it’s rather sad because you can’t be a half-assed OPSEC Manager.  You can’t simply satisfy the minimum requirements and expect to have a positive effect on the mission or the lives of those executing that mission.  You can’t send out an 18-slide PowerPoint presentation as your annual training and expect it to mean anything.  You can’t walk up to a group of shooters about to execute a mission and tell them they can’t do something because you say so.  You can’t be so removed from the leadership that they never think to call on you when they are making long-range plans.  You can’t stick your head in a sales or marketing meeting and shout “Think OPSEC” and expect it to positively effect the outcome of the meeting.  You can’t wait until all the jobs are posted and then run to HR and beat them down for putting too much information in job postings.  And you can’t expect your coworkers to give a you-know-what about OPSEC and how it effects the mission and their lives if you haven’t repeatedly told them - if you haven’t made it personal to them - if you haven’t fully demonstrated how it effects them personally.

Understand this; as a OPSECer you are outgunned and under-equipped for the job you’ve been asked to accomplish.  Boldness under such circumstances may seem almost foolish, yet boldness may be the one advantage to have.  Unlike those who lead in battle, your life may not be on the line as the OPSEC Manager - but lives, jobs, your co-workers welfare, and their families’ welfare may be.  Your program may have less muscle, so you will need more brains.  You have to reorient your thinking, behavior and strategy.  Pull off the sunglasses of pride and arrogance, and drop them in the nearest trash can - you’ll see the road ahead and the obstacles more clearly without them.  Then get yourself our on that road and kick some OPSEC ass!

Keep the Faith!

Revelator

*The Centurian Principles by Colonel Jeff O’Leary (Ret)