Today’s Best Advice Q&A comes from Guy Grace, K-12 national program manager at ASSA ABLOY and vice chairman for the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS K-12). He shares the best advice he’s ever gotten, gives tips to security industry newcomers and singles out the people to whom others should listen most.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Guy Grace: When I first stepped into a K–12 security director role, I was immediately responsible for making high-stakes decisions during real emergencies: placing schools on hold or lockdown, managing severe weather events, assessing threats, supporting BTAM (behavioral threat assessment and management) processes and guiding response and recovery.
I was also a responder, dealing directly with threatening individuals, providing first aid and emergency assistance, comforting students and staff in moments of real fear and managing the people I worked alongside every day.
At the time, there was no formal training pipeline or established curriculum for someone in that position. You learned quickly that hesitation could be just as dangerous as a wrong decision.
Early on, two leaders I trusted told me something I’ve never forgotten: You wouldn’t be in this role if we didn’t believe in your instincts and your ability to make decisions. You’ll learn as you go — this is an uncharted position — and we’re counting on you to lead and help keep thousands of people safe every day.
That backing gave me the confidence to trust informed instincts, stay grounded under pressure and make the best possible decision with the information available — in the moment. That lesson has stayed with me for decades and continues to shape how I view leadership in the security profession.
It also carries into my work at ASSA ABLOY. I see the people I work with today, from engineers and factory teams to sales, service and support, individuals who genuinely care about the impact of their work. We can measure sales, but what ultimately matters is how responsibly we innovate, how well we serve real-world needs and how reliably our work helps keep others safe.
That same sense of responsibility that those two leaders instilled in me is something I see reflected in the people I work with every day.
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Grace: Success in the security industry starts with understanding that this is a people profession before it is a technology profession. Strong outcomes come from partnerships built on trust, not transactions. Take the time to learn how the environments you’re protecting actually operate day to day, not just how systems are supposed to work on paper.
Spend time listening to practitioners, educators, operators and first responders. They will tell you where things break, where confusion occurs, and what truly matters when a crisis unfolds.
Don’t lead with products or features. Lead with risk, operations and outcomes and recognize that, in K-12 environments, especially, fostering fear is to your detriment — both ethically and in terms of credibility. Schools operate on trust, relationships and predictability.
Playing the long game means building partnerships, earning confidence over time and helping organizations make defensible, sustainable decisions rather than chasing quick wins.
Be vendor-agnostic in your thinking, even if you work for a vendor. Credibility in this field is built through consistency, transparency and showing up when things don’t go as planned. If you remember that the tools you design, sell or support may be used by children, educators and everyday staff during their worst moments, you’ll stay grounded in what success in this industry really means.
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?
Grace: While there are plenty of recognizable names in this industry, the real people to point to are those who show up every day to protect students, staff, and communities without seeking recognition. That includes custodians, bus drivers, teachers, front-office staff, counselors, school resource officers, principals and superintendents.
Most of these individuals are not seeking fame, recognition or fortune. They show up because they care deeply about the people they serve and the environments they protect. Safety is not a title to them; it’s part of their daily responsibility. Each role carries a piece of the mission and, together, they create the conditions that allow learning to happen in a place that feels predictable, trusted, and supported.
These practitioners understand their schools in ways no outside expert ever fully can. They see early warning signs, recognize when something feels off and know what works and what creates confusion when systems are tested.
If you want to succeed in the security industry, spend time listening to these people. They are the quiet professionals who keep schools functioning, protect dignity as well as safety and empower learning environments every day, not for recognition but because they believe in the work.
That said, the security industry plays a critical supporting role. The best professionals in our field are those who listen first, respect the realities on the ground and design tools, services and guidance that strengthen the people already carrying the safety mission every day.
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
