Lisa Johnson: The Team Builder

To Nike CISO Lisa Johnson, rock-climbing trips with her security staffers are more than a team-building exercise: They are symbols of the way she approaches her life and careerone relationship at a time

June 01, 2005 — CSO — It's not unusual to see Nerf darts whizzing across Nike's information security office. And right in the middle of all that flying foam you'll predictably find Lisa Johnson, Nike's charismatic CISO. Johnson, who goes by the nickname "LJ," and her small staff of seven spend a lot of time together both on and off the job. The group has gone rock-climbing, skiing and wine-tasting together. A few brave souls even accompanied Johnson skydiving. To an outsider, this might just look like a group of thrill-seeking oenophiles, but Johnson sees some serious business benefits to the downtime she spends with her team.

"We're not always the most popular people at the party," she acknowledges of security professionals. "Our jobs tend to involve a lot of intensity and stress, and it's important to balance that with a little fun and silliness."

Because of the time the group has spent together, Johnson knows that when the pressure is on, she has a tightly bonded and cohesive team, a group of people who know their boss trusts and respects them.

Braun Tacon, Nike's global security operations manager, has worked for and with Johnson for the past three years. He describes the experience as "rowdy, raucous, ever-challenging and extremely satisfying." The time that she has spent getting to know her team has taught her how to get the best from them. "LJ leads by planting seeds," says Tacon. "Her method of delegation is to come over, describe a problem, then ask your opinion of what could be done. The conversation bounces back and forth, each side feeding off the ideas of the other. She has a knack for making you think that her idea was your own, and she allows you to carry the idea to fruition, never claiming any of your success, but always willing to take her share of the blame if things don't go well."

Relationships with a Purpose

But Johnson's efforts at team-building are not limited to her staff. Building relationships is a skill that comes naturally to her, and she does it with the conscious knowledge that it will make her a more effective CISO. She is currently reaching out to her fellow executives at Nike, encouraging them to take ownership of security within their individual business units. And to help herself in that effort she went back to school for a master's in management so that she could talk to business executives in the terms they feel most comfortable with.