The rejection came, wrapped in polite language, but still, it was a rejection.
James had submitted a proposal for a security awareness training program. Phishing simulations, quarterly workshops, updated policies. The kind of initiative that every security framework recommended, that every audit flagged as necessary, that every industry report cited as critical.
The response from the budget committee took three weeks and filled two paragraphs. The first paragraph thanked him for the thorough proposal. The second explained that resources were being prioritized for initiatives more directly aligned with the bank's current strategic objectives.
The rest of Chapter 6: The Business Spine is for The Architects.
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