--- title: Blog | Brian Donovan description: Explore insightful leadership strategies and explore key themes in collaboration, trust, and growth from Brian Donovan's latest blog posts and research. Stay updated with our mailing list. --- [Skip to content](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan#main-content) ![cropped-DON_LongRGB01](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cropped-DON_LongRGB01.jpg?width=886&height=247&name=cropped-DON_LongRGB01.jpg) - [Home](https://donovanleadership.com/) - [Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/executive-coaching-transform-your-leadership-style-donovan-leadership) Show submenu for Coaching - [One on One Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/one-on-one-coaching) - [Group Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/group-coaching) - [Blog](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) Show submenu for Blog - [All Posts](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) - [Research](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/research) - [Books](https://donovanleadership.com/books) - [About](https://donovanleadership.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact Us](https://donovanleadership.com/contact) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Home](https://donovanleadership.com/) - [Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/executive-coaching-transform-your-leadership-style-donovan-leadership) Show submenu for Coaching - [One on One Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/one-on-one-coaching) - [Group Coaching](https://donovanleadership.com/group-coaching) - [Blog](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) Show submenu for Blog - [All Posts](https://donovanleadership.com/blog) - [Research](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/research) - [Books](https://donovanleadership.com/books) - [About](https://donovanleadership.com/about) Show submenu for About - [Contact Us](https://donovanleadership.com/contact) - [Influence Curve Quiz](https://influence-curve.lovable.app/) [Influence Curve Quiz](https://influence-curve.lovable.app/) # Blog Posts and Research Join our mailing list for regular leadership updates. [![Change Curves - Voluntary and Involuntary Change](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/Change%20curves%20-%20voluntary%20vs%20involuntary%20-%20CORRECTED%20-%2016%20September%202026.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-leaders-are-on-both-ends-of-the-same-change) [Thought Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/thought-leadership), [brian donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/brian-donovan) ## [Most leaders are on both ends of the same change](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-leaders-are-on-both-ends-of-the-same-change) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Sep 17, 2026, 3:00:06 PM You found out in a meeting you were told about rather than asked into. Six weeks later you are stand... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-leaders-are-on-both-ends-of-the-same-change) [![High TQ by Kirkland Tibbels and John Patterson](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/High%20TQ%201080%20x%201350%20LinkedIn.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/expertise-got-you-the-seat.-it-wont-get-you-the-room) [Transactional Intelligence™](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/transactional-intelligence), [Influential U](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influential-u), [High TQ](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/high-tq) ## [Expertise Got You the Seat. It Won't Get You the Room.](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/expertise-got-you-the-seat.-it-wont-get-you-the-room) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Aug 6, 2026, 12:12:14 PM In cyber and tech, leaders pour years into accreditation and technical mastery and almost nothing in... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/expertise-got-you-the-seat.-it-wont-get-you-the-room) [![Why CISO stress is less about technology and more about leading people.](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/ciso-stress-stat-1200x628.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-corporate-world-may-be-an-influence-problem) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [Transactional Intelligence™](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/transactional-intelligence), [cybersecurity leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity-leadership) ## [The most stressful job in the corporate world may be an influence problem](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-corporate-world-may-be-an-influence-problem) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jul 1, 2026, 4:09:32 PM Few roles carry as much stress as the chief information security officer's, and a recent ACS Informa... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-most-stressful-job-in-the-corporate-world-may-be-an-influence-problem) [![Self-awareness is not a soft skill. Bill George](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/george-self-awareness-1200x628.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-strength-your-team-has-learned-to-work-around) [Transactional Intelligence™](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/transactional-intelligence), [Influential U](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influential-u), [technology leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/technology-leadership) ## [The strength your team has learned to work around](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-strength-your-team-has-learned-to-work-around) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jun 25, 2026, 5:44:45 PM Bill George, author of True North posted a reminder this week of a finding that I enjoyed hearing ag... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-strength-your-team-has-learned-to-work-around) [![The shift is from "I build the machine" to "I build the builders"](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/pbt-bottleneck-builders-quote.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-bottleneck-crisis-when-your-greatest-strength-becomes-a-leadership-trap) [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-gentle-art-of-leadership), [Leadership and AI](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/leadership-and-ai), [The Bottleneck Crisis](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-bottleneck-crisis) ## [The Bottleneck Crisis: When Your Greatest Strength Becomes a Leadership Trap](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-bottleneck-crisis-when-your-greatest-strength-becomes-a-leadership-trap) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jun 11, 2026, 4:05:57 PM Most technical leaders are promoted for the same reason: they're the best problem-solver in the room... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/the-bottleneck-crisis-when-your-greatest-strength-becomes-a-leadership-trap) [![McKinsey Organisational Health Index](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/McKinsey%20Organisational%20Health%20Index.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/when-the-tools-get-smarter-the-work-gets-more-human) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [Leadership and AI](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/leadership-and-ai), [AI](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/ai) ## [When the Tools Get Smarter, the Work Gets More Human](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/when-the-tools-get-smarter-the-work-gets-more-human) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) Jun 4, 2026, 3:53:28 PM Many organisations are deploying AI as fast as they can and hitting the same wall. [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/when-the-tools-get-smarter-the-work-gets-more-human) [![](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/influence-quote-card.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/influence-isnt-a-soft-skill) [Leadership and AI](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/leadership-and-ai), [Cyber leader](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/cyber-leader), [Top Cyber News MAGAZINE](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/top-cyber-news-magazine) ## [Influence isn't a soft skill](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/influence-isnt-a-soft-skill) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) May 28, 2026, 5:29:18 PM A short post this week. The longer version is in a digital magazine, and I'd rather point you to it ... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/influence-isnt-a-soft-skill) [![Gallup says 70% of team engagement comes down to the manager. ](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/gallup-70-percent-stat-1200x628%20(2).png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/winning-is-about-helping-others-win) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [The Gentle Art of Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/the-gentle-art-of-leadership), [cybersecurity leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity-leadership) ## [Winning is about helping others win](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/winning-is-about-helping-others-win) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) May 21, 2026, 3:00:17 PM Rao was an outstanding individual contributor in cyber security. His technical depth was the reason ... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/winning-is-about-helping-others-win) [![](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/design-problem-quote.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/training-isnt-change.-and-mandates-arent-adoption) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [Leadership and AI](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/leadership-and-ai) ## [Training Isn’t Change. And Mandates Aren’t Adoption.](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/training-isnt-change.-and-mandates-arent-adoption) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) May 14, 2026, 5:13:30 PM Jenny Fernandez and Noam Bar-Lev open a recent Fast Company piece (February 2026) with this scene. D... [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/training-isnt-change.-and-mandates-arent-adoption) [![The CISO Influence Gap](https://donovanleadership.com/hubfs/ciso-influence-gap-v2.png)](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-cisos-dont-have-a-capability-gap-they-have-an-influence-gap) [influence curve](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/influence-curve), [technology leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/technology-leadership), [cybersecurity leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/cybersecurity-leadership), [CISO leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/tag/ciso-leadership) ## [Most CISOs Don’t Have a Capability Gap: They Have an Influence Gap](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-cisos-dont-have-a-capability-gap-they-have-an-influence-gap) [Brian Donovan](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) May 7, 2026, 5:38:59 PM [Read more](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/most-cisos-dont-have-a-capability-gap-they-have-an-influence-gap) First Prev [1](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan) [2](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/2) [3](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/3) [4](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/4) [5](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/5) [Next](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/2) [Last](https://donovanleadership.com/blog/author/brian-donovan/page/7) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/DonovanLeadership/) [linkedin-in icon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfdonovan1/) [Twitter icon](https://x.com/Briandonovan1) - [Privacy Policy](https://donovanleadership.com/privacy-policy) - [Disclaimer](https://donovanleadership.com/disclaimer) - [Contact Us](https://donovanleadership.com/contact) --- PO Box 536 Camberwell VICTORIA, 3124 Australia [![Donovan Leadership](https://donovanleadership.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/cropped-cropped-DON_LongRGB01-Apr-17-2025-10-42-20-2134-PM-Jun-18-2025-10-42-41-2821-AM.jpg?width=886&height=236&name=cropped-cropped-DON_LongRGB01-Apr-17-2025-10-42-20-2134-PM-Jun-18-2025-10-42-41-2821-AM.jpg "Donovan Leadership")](https://donovanleadership.com/) Copyright © 2025,