Scott R. Elkins, Executive Chairman, Zeus Fire and Security: Best Advice

The newest addition to the Best Advice Q&A series is Zeus Fire and Security founder and executive chairman Scott R. Elkins. He reveals the best advice he’s ever heard, gives pointers to security industry pros on the rise and singles out his ultimate business inspiration.

Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Scott Elkins: One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received is to fail fast.

That doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risks or accepting failure. It means recognizing when something isn’t working, learning from it quickly and having the courage to change course. Whether it’s hiring the wrong person, pursuing a strategy that isn’t gaining traction or investing in a new initiative, the longer you wait to acknowledge reality, the more expensive the lesson becomes.

I’ve learned that successful leaders aren’t the ones who avoid mistakes but rather they’re the ones who identify them early, adapt quickly and keep moving forward. Every setback contains valuable information if you’re willing to learn from it.

Failing fast allows you to spend less time defending bad decisions and more time building better ones.

SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?

Elkins: Never stop learning.

Two of the most important qualities for long-term success are curiosity and humility. Curiosity keeps you asking questions, exploring new ideas and challenging your own assumptions. Humility reminds you that you don’t have all the answers and that you’re often just one conversation away from learning something that can change your perspective.

The security industry is constantly evolving so the people who continue to grow are those who are willing to learn from customers, colleagues, competitors, mentors and especially their own mistakes. Technical knowledge is important but so are listening, communicating, building trust and investing in relationships.

At its core, this is a relationship business. The opportunities you’ll have throughout your career are often the result of the trust you build long before you ever need it. Invest in those relationships because they’ll shape your career as much as any technical skill you develop.

Stay curious. Stay humble. If you do those two things consistently, you’ll never stop growing and that’s one of the best investments you can make in your career.

SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?

Elkins: Without hesitation, it would be Stanley Oppenheim.

Early in my career, I sat down with Stanley for dinner at my first NetOne event and, within minutes, he was asking question after question about my business. At first, I thought he was exposing every weakness in what I was doing. Then I realized he was only asking questions to understand my business because he genuinely wanted to help me make it better.

That experience changed the way I think about leadership and mentorship. Stanley has an extraordinary ability to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions and help people see opportunities they might otherwise miss.

More importantly, he’s always been deeply invested in the success of others. Throughout his career, he has generously shared his knowledge, experience and wisdom, helping shape not only businesses but the people who lead them.

If you’re fortunate enough to have the opportunity to talk with Stanley, or better yet, learn from him, take it! It has the potential to change the trajectory of your career, just as it changed mine.

Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!

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