Articulate the Vision, Grow the Team, Deliver the Product

Author: peter_whale

  • Reflections from the CW Agentic AI and Security Event

    Reflections from the CW Agentic AI and Security Event

    Reflections from the CW Agentic AI and Security Event

    Recently (11th Nov 2025), I had the opportunity to attend the CW Agentic AI and Security event, kindly hosted by CGI in the iconic “Walkie Talkie” building in the City of London, UK. The event’s theme—securing our increasingly AI-driven digital infrastructure—could not be more relevant. As our societies become ever more reliant on digital systems, the challenge of protecting them from cyber threats grows in both complexity and urgency. The integration of AI into these systems introduces a new and rapidly evolving set of risks.

    The Expanding Attack Surface

    One of the central messages from the event was that the “attack surface”—the range of potential vulnerabilities—continues to expand. The addition of AI technologies only accelerates this trend, creating a new range of types of threat that we need to find ways to mitigate. The event’s speakers, expertly curated by the Security, Identity, Privacy and Trust SIG Champions, each brought a unique perspective to this critical topic.

    Expert Insights on AI Security

    Dr Madeline Cheah (谢涵馨) from Cambridge Consultants provided a comprehensive overview of threats both to and from AI systems. She highlighted AI specific attack vectors such as data poisoning and the introduction of backdoors during AI training. She also discussed autonomy and agency in AI systems, and risks that emerge when AI systems have increased agency, including risks from hallucinations and deceptive behaviours from AI systems, along with new risks when we embody AI in physical products.

    Simon Thompson offered a contrasting viewpoint, likening AI agents to “Stuart Little”—suggesting that, for now, AI agents require significant guidance and oversight to deliver meaningful outcomes.

    Colin Selfridge from CGI approached the topic from a trust and risk management angle, advocating for the application of established best practices such as adversarial testing, zero trust frameworks, and the integration of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) into AI security architectures.

    Finally, Jonathon Wright from Eggplant (part of Keysight Technologies) provided perspective on the latest strategic technology trends in AI security, referencing Gartner research on innovations that can drive resilience and trust in an AI-powered, hyperconnected world. His live demonstration of multi-agent systems conducting security tests on the Cambridge Wireless website, using a Vibe Engineering Lifecycle, was a particular highlight.

    Looking Ahead

    The event provided valuable insights into how the nature of security threats is evolving alongside AI adoption. While the risks are significant—and the prospect of an unmanageable attack surface is a real concern—the discussions also highlighted the immense value and necessity of ongoing innovation in this space. As we continue to integrate AI into our digital infrastructure, there is a clear need – and massive value – for further and ongoing innovations in this space.

  • Why “The Courage to Be Disliked” Might Be the Most Important Book I’ve Read This Year

    Why “The Courage to Be Disliked” Might Be the Most Important Book I’ve Read This Year

    Every now and then, a book comes along that quietly rearranges how you think about life, work, and what actually matters. For me, The Courage to Be Disliked by Kishimi Ichiro and Koga Fumitake did exactly that.

    I’m not breaking new ground here—first published in 2013, it’s sold over 10 million copies—but I’m still glad I finally got around to reading it. And despite the title, it’s not really about courage. Or being disliked. It’s about something deeper and far more liberating.

    What’s it really about?

    At its core, this book lays out a philosophical framework you might intuitively recognise but not have words for. It’s grounded in the work of Alfred Adler, a contemporary of Freud and Jung, who developed a radical alternative to their cause-effect models of human behaviour.

    Adler’s philosophy centres on this idea:

    You can choose how to think, act, and live—not based on past events or what others expect, but on what you believe is worth doing.

    The so-called “courage to be disliked” is simply a by-product of choosing to live authentically and in service of that belief.

    What stayed with me

    Here are the ideas I’ve been reflecting on most since reading:

    • Radical self-acceptance: Starting from “this me” as I am, without chasing external approval.
    • Unconditional confidence in others: Begin relationships from a place of trust, not fear or doubt.
    • Contribution, not validation: It’s enough to feel that I’m being useful—even if that contribution goes unnoticed.
    • Live earnestly in the now: The present is the only moment I can work with. The past and future aren’t reality.
    • Separation of tasks: I do what’s mine to do. How others respond is their task, not mine.
    • Horizontal relationships: Move away from hierarchies and approval-seeking. Relate person to person.

    Why it matters

    Living like this is incredibly freeing—but also confronting. It asks you to give up your need for recognition and lean into purpose. To work for impact, not applause.

    It reminded me of that great Harry S. Truman quote:

    “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

    In a world that often encourages performance, comparison, and constant feedback loops, this book offers a very different invitation: Do the work you believe matters. Contribute to others. And don’t wait for permission or praise.

    Worth reading?

    If you’ve ever wrestled with people-pleasing, overthinking, imposter syndrome—or just wondered how to stay grounded while trying to do meaningful work—this book might offer something that sticks with you, too.

    Let me know if you’ve read it—or if it’s now on your list.

  • The power of starting…NOW

    The power of starting…NOW

    I’m the kind of person who has always loved finding out about the world around me, and then sharing insights and what I have learned with other people. One aspect of this particular way I am wired has developed into a professional mentoring practice, where I support others in their personal growth journey, be that in business or in achieving other goals in life.

    For a while now, I’ve been drawn to the idea of writing some of these insights down and sharing them more widely, as a way of seeking to impact positively more people than can be done through 1-1 mentoring conversations.

    This year I set myself the goal to start writing. In my head I have several books I’d like to write about a wide range of different topics. But… I’ve hit “writer’s block” before I’ve even started. I am reminded of one of the power tips to create a new habit. Which is this. Ask yourself: “what is the smallest simple step I can take now towards my new goal?”. For instance if you want to start going to the gym, then this might mean getting your gym kit ready to go. Or you might want to start journaling, so get yourself a nice journal, and think about where and when in your pattern of life you will make space for journaling. The next step after that is to write one line in your journal, and take it from there. You will be amazed how taking these very small steps gets you on the road of progress.

    For me recently, having moved house in the last year, I wanted to re-start swimming once a week. So applying this power tip, the first step was finding out online where my nearest swimming pool was. The second step was getting a (free) membership card and downloading their app, so that I could easily book a session. The third step was booking a slot and getting my swimwear ready, and so on…

    So often we set ourselves a big goal that is too far removed from where we are today. The risk is that on day 3 or week 3, when we can’t live up to that new goal (yet), then we faulter and risk giving up, because the goal is unobtainable. Much better then to think about (and enjoy) the process, and the steps you will need to take to begin to create a habit that will help you towards some ultimate goal. A topic for another day perhaps, is that many people find over time that the process is more important than the goal itself. It’s good to have a target of course, but it’s also true that we make, and can celebrate, progress by taking a number of smaller steps, that over time add up to something much bigger.

    So back to my writer’s block. I thought about this power tip and how to apply it to writing. What is the smallest step I can take, and then take that. In this case the smallest step was remembering my login credentials for the backend of this website (I had not logged in for much more than a year), and setting up a new blank blog post in draft format. Well I did that yesterday, and today this text you are reading is my first blog post in 7 years ! (This is because when I gained new work and got busy I too easily put my “pen down” !)

    I titled this blog post “The power of starting…NOW” . As the adage goes “there is no time like the present”. I would add to that – start NOW directionally towards your goal with the smallest baby step, and you may well find that you have gained initial momentum to build upon that.

    So I don’t know if this will be the only blog post I write for the next seven years, as blogging is not the end goal – rather I needed to take a first step on a bigger journey, which was to write something (I hope) useful down and get it out there.

    Peter

    Photo by Melike B: https://www.pexels.com/photo/neon-light-signage-hanging-on-glass-wall-9226854/

  • Creating space in your life to reflect

    Creating space in your life to reflect

     

    I was stressed. Too many competing priorities, too much to do, too few resources, too little time and deadlines looming and customers to satisfy. A hastily eaten sandwich at my desk as there was no time for lunch. I felt under enormous pressure. Close family and friends were concerned about me, and could see the stress in me, even when I was supposedly relaxing. It wasn’t pretty and I needed to find a way through and out the other side.

    This happened a good many years ago. I often draw on the formative lessons I learnt during this time, which have helped me over the years to achieve more, with more responsibility and focus – all without the stress. I’d like to share with you here one of those lessons I learnt at this time. Like many profound lessons of life, what I’m about to say is disarmingly simple, but not often practised:

    I took time out from my day and week to reflect

    About once a week, I took myself off at lunchtime to a little neighbourhood café, where I was unlikely to meet anyone I knew from the office. I took a notebook and a pen with me, and as I munched my toastie, I started to reflect and make notes on my “impossible project”, how I was dealing with it, the decisions I was making – or not making – and what was causing all the stress (spoiler alert – it was all to do with my own attitudes and lack of perspective). As I took time to reflect, I started to realise that as the project leader, I had been given the cards to play in terms of deciding what we did and didn’t do and when, and taking responsibility for those decisions. I moved from being led by circumstance to starting to act like a leader, setting direction and priorities and pushing towards the goal, bringing others with me.

    There are many aspects to being an effective leader and I’d like to talk about more of these another time. For now I want to keep your attention on the key point of this article which is:

    taking time out from your day and week to reflect

    Executive Coach Jennifer Porter says “The hardest leaders to coach are those who won’t reflect — particularly leaders who won’t reflect on themselves”. If I had not started reflecting, I don’t believe I would have developed and changed so readily, and the stress probably would have led me into a real crisis.

    Taking time out from the busyness of our lives, gives us opportunity to gain valuable perspective and to think creatively (whoever had their best ideas sitting at their desk anyway…?). Reflecting helps us to reconnect with the bigger picture of why we are doing what we are doing. Reflecting gives us time to connect with our values and our vision for the life we are seeking to build and the goals we are working towards. Time to reflect on whether we are being responsible for our own actions. Time to think creatively about different approaches we could take. Time to reflect on our mistakes and valuable lessons we can gain from them. Time to consider whose help or expertise we could seek out, who we could invest in further, or who might be able to give us a valuable new perspective. Time to make key decisions.

    These days I have developed many different ways of building thinking and reflective time into my life. It could be in a busy café with my notebook and pen, other times you’ll find me in the silence of one of the many churches and cathedrals that are open for reflection and prayer up and down the land. Other times I go for a reflective walk – being surrounded by nature I find is a great help. During one of my periods working on the Cambridge Science Park, I would nip out the back door of my office for a short walk around one of the lakes, and then sit on a bench, notebook and pen in hand, reflecting, thinking creatively and finding ways forward.

    Cambridge, UK where I am mostly based, has numerous green spaces. Even in the heart of the UK’s capital within the square mile of the City of London, where I have visited many times, there are a large number of public green spaces – often small and hidden, and almost 50 churches most of which are open for visiting during the working day (I have actually visited every single one of them, but that’s another story!). I am sure wherever you are located, you can find places to reflect.

    So, grab a notebook and a pen, get yourself out of the office, and find places where you can take time to think and reflect. If having given it a go, being solitary for a time just doesn’t fit your personality type, then find a trusted friend, with whom you can take time out together to reflect. Whatever approach you chose, I trust you will find reflection a powerful tool in taking full control of your life.

  • New Year Resolutions don’t work – here is a better way

    New Year Resolutions don’t work – here is a better way

    So it’s the time of year to make – or break – New Year Resolutions. Have you made any this year, and how’s it going so far, and do you think you’ll be able to keep going throughout the year?

    A number of years ago, I decided to ditch the whole idea of New Year Resolutions in favour of a different approach, which I have found increasingly powerful and productive.

    Don’t get me wrong, the idea of reflecting on the year that has been, and deciding what you want to do differently in the future is solid as far as it goes. It’s just that to me the concept of a resolution is flawed, as it presumes a complete “gear change” from the way I have done things up to this point, into a “new me”, where I’m immediately so much better than ever I was before. If change and growth were really that simple, surely we’d all be super humans by now? Why is it that resolutions are something talked a lot about in January and then never mentioned again from February onwards? What a waste of our potential, as so often we give up so soon, when all the evidence suggests it takes time to form new habits and perseverance for them to become ingrained.

    I don’t know about you, but my experience of change has been more gradual and progressive, yet with the potential to be dramatic and life-changing over the mid-term. Change and transformation is nearly always something you have to stick with, and work at. There are often bumps along the way, and perseverance is needed to overcome hurdles, and find creative ways through them.

    So is there a better way? There absolutely is, and it may sound like motherhood and apple pie, as it will be very familiar to you, but it’s all about setting goals and working progressively towards them.

    This is what I do.

    Every year I create a set of goals for all the major areas of my life – such as personal development, key relationships, career and business, health and fitness, all things financial, learning and development, giving back to my community, leisure and travel and practical matters.

    The most important thing is not to write down what you will start doing on Jan 1, rather to write down what you will be doing or have achieved by Dec 31. “Begin with the end in mind” as Stephen Covey of 7 Habits fame advocates. So then the questions become – what do I want to achieve this year? Where do I want to have got to by the end of 2018? What shall I do next in order to move towards my goal? Rather than saying “I will start running twice a week” – and risk giving up for the whole year in mid-January, why not set a goal that might say for example: “by the end of 2018 I will have established a running routine, averaging 10k a week.” – or – “in 2018 I will take part in a 5k charity run [or marathon or whatever….]”. For me, the first steps to get into running included talking with others who already run, experimenting with running routes that worked for me, and once I got going, buying a decent pair of running shoes and using a running app to record my runs.

    Once a month I schedule a “meeting with myself” to review my goals for the year, re-prioritise if need be the ones that matter most, and write down what I will do within the next month to work towards the bigger goal. This personal check in is really important – a once a year reflection looking back / looking forward just isn’t frequent enough!

    Oh and one final important thing. I progressively plan my goals during the “deep mid winter” months of Jan and Feb, when it’s cold, dark and not always the most motivating of seasons. Then I start implementing my goals ‘officially’ for the year from March 1, when there are signs of Spring and new growth – a perfect context in which to reach out and grow personally. It also means that any first steps towards a new goal can be “prototyped” or prepared for in Jan/Feb, as anything worth doing usually needs some decent preparation time.

    One of my goals for 2018 is to set up and establish a business to help accelerate early stage companies in turning “vision into reality” and realising their ambition to get an amazing product to market at scale. Look out for further details in the coming weeks, and do get in touch if you’d like to be part of this journey.