Learning from Hard Companies and Mistakes

In this episode, we welcome Steve Rog, CRO at Cyera, one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the world.

Steve opens up about his journey from a technical networking background to becoming a high-impact leader in cybersecurity. We unpick how he landed one of the industry's most sought-after CRO roles and why Cyera’s culture of humility and teamwork keeps them winning.

Steve shares profound lessons on seeking out mentors, the critical importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in delivery, and why he views leadership as a responsibility to help others reach their "ceiling".

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🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - In this episode

01:53 - Landing the Industry's Hottest Role

02:45 - Culture: No One is Bigger Than the Team

05:02 - The Science Behind the Playbook

06:45 - The Debt of Gratitude: Seek Mentors

13:05 - Overcoming Early Career Insecurity

35:57 - EQ: Why the Way You Deliver Matters

39:15 - A Turning Point: When My Boss Joined Me

💥 3 Biggest Lessons:

EQ is About Delivery, Not Softness: Emotional Intelligence isn't just about being "likable"; it's about the strategic delivery of information. Steve emphasizes that the way a leader delivers good or bad news determines how it is received and acted upon, requiring the leader to put themselves in the other person's shoes.

Authentic Leadership is Altruistic: The most authentic form of leadership is surrounding yourself with people better than you and not being insecure about having "weapons" on your team. Steve attributes his success to Cyera's altruistic culture, where teams prioritize the customer first, the company second, and themselves last.

Active Mentorship Drives Careers: You cannot wait for an introduction; you must proactively seek out mentors and ask for help. Steve advocates for paying this forward by investing in everyone from BDRs upward, ensuring team members have the guidance they need to navigate "highs and lows" without entering a tailspin.

💬 Notable Quotes

"I love seeing the team win. I love seeing career progression and I love the thought that I'm helping people achieve their career goals".

"No one person is bigger than the team".

"Measure six times, cut once. It's the philosophy across the company".

"You almost have to have imposter syndrome to go figure it out". "You can't coach charisma, you can't coach likability... and you can't really coach desire".

🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Oli Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro.

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