Former CIA operative, J. C. Carleson, has written “Work Like a Spy: An Ex-CIA Officer’s Tips for Business Success” where she applies what she learned in the CIA to working in the corporate world. Due on bookshelves in February.
She was interviewed regarding her new book by Fast Company, www.fastcompany.com
“…in the spy world let’s say there’s a change in leadership–a shift in power, someone new is taking the helm. There are always going to be people who feel stepped on. Those are the people who are vulnerable to recruitment by a spy. They still have access and knowledge. They are the people who see the writing on the wall, so they want to get revenge or build up a bank account. Translate that to the corporate world: new management comes in, a CEO gets ousted, a new exec brings a new team, people in the organization feel stepped on, they feel as if an outsider is taking over, those people become vulnerable for recruitment. It’s a great way to get talent.”
FAST COMPANY: What are the parallels between being in corporate America and being in the CIA?
J.C. CARLESON: First of all, there is crisis management; you can definitely deal with anything the world throws at you. Also sales. CIA officers are the ultimate sales people. If you can convince people to steal secrets from their country and deliver them to you, you can sell just about anything.
For example, in the spy world let’s say there’s a change in leadership–a shift in power, someone new is taking the helm. There are always going to be people who feel stepped on. Those are the people who are vulnerable to recruitment by a spy. They still have access and knowledge. They are the people who see the writing on the wall, so they want to get revenge or build up a bank account. Translate that to the corporate world: new management comes in, a CEO gets ousted, a new exec brings a new team, people in the organization feel stepped on, they feel as if an outsider is taking over, those people become vulnerable for recruitment. It’s a great way to get talent.
That’s a really interesting way to seize opportunity, but do we really want to go through our working life distrusting that everyone around us might become a turncoat? Corporate America is paranoid enough.
CIA officers are some of the most principled, ethical people you’ll ever meet. It seems ironic, because they’re great liars. They use deception to achieve a mission critical goal. CIA officers have strong moral compasses. They do not lie to one another; you save the deception and exploitation for when it’s necessary.
For example, building an intelligence network. It might seem to some to be mercenary, but it’s about being friends at all levels of the organization. With the security guard, the executive assistant, rather than just looking up the hierarchy all the time. Who are the people who can tip you off, who is working late at night?
I imagine one of the most important skills required to be a CIA agent is the ability to make split second decisions in high-stakes situations. What are your tips for those of us who crumble during those?
The money moment for an agent is when you try to recruit a spy. When you make it black and white: will you provide me information on an ongoing basis? It’s a scary question, even for targets who have been letting information slip, and you never know how people will react. Sometimes they say, Of course, and you’re cementing the obvious. Some people panic and report you to authorities and you are at risk to be arrested. You have to watch for early indications for things to go bad; you need to have exit strategies planned out in your mind. I would try to get a sense of their reaction before the formal pitch was out there; if the reaction would be negative, have some softer way to spin it, so it could be misinterpretation. The parallel for the corporate world is if you’re making a pitch for a huge change, like some drastic change in strategy, and you can see the answer will be a big Hell No, don’t commit, give yourself an out.