Development teams face relentless pressure to deliver, yet they must continue to prioritise building secure, high-quality software. Leaders play a crucial role in reinforcing how a Secure by Design approach, supported by observability, benchmarking, and ongoing education, directly enhances code quality. By embedding these practices, organisations can close governance gaps and fully capture the benefits of AI-driven productivity and efficiency, while reducing the risk of security flaws or costly rework during the SDLC.