In an uncertain world, it can be difficult to see past the next 48 hours. But future-proofing exercises can help security and business leaders get more strategic about what they want to achieve in the next few years and how to get there, says futurist Heather Vescent. She helps outline how to step back and take a different worldview to uncover emerging risks and opportunities. Then, Scott Fitzsimmons talks about how to chart a path forward from individual contributor to manager to leader in security—for yourself or your employees—and how to instill a culture of reflection and professional growth in your organization.

Additional Resources

Get to know our colleague and friend, Mariah Bartz, in the ASIS Blog here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-news/blog/2025/in-loving-memory-mariah-bartz/

Read more about how to incorporate future-proofing into security tabletops and thought exercises in Heather Vescent’s article for Security Management: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2026/01/tabletop-exercises/future-proofing/

Want to test out Vescent’s future-proofing Mad Libs exercise? Use this video for a walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4Yt6HYOyk&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.asisonline.org%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ

Worried about how artificial intelligence is changing the security industry? It’s worth thinking about with both discernment and an open mind, according to this Security Management article from August: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/08/guards-to-guardians/

In an AI age, human skills are increasingly valuable. Learn how to leverage core debate skills for critical thinking: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/08/debate-skills-for-ai/

Read more from Scott Fitzsimmons about security leadership and professional development here: https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/articles/2025/12/employee-retention/from_officer_to_leader_rethinking_leadership_development_in_security/

Interested in advancing your career in 2026? Don’t miss out on the ASIS International resources in our Career HQ: https://www.asisonline.org/professional-development/career-hq/