Leadership Lessons from the CIA
Hello from Atlanta
What can intelligence operatives teach business leaders?
Marc Polymeropolous is one of the CIA's most decorated field officers. This week he spills secrets on how he survived in stressful and dangerous environments and what CEO's can learn from his life in the shadows.
In this bonus episode he tells me about the CIA mistakes at Khost, getting revenge for the death of two colleagues in Afghanistan and how he was trained to get out of sticky situations.
Getting off the "X" is a military term, but consider it like this.
Wherever you are where you're feeling stuck,
a company
a house
a career
a city
... that is your "X."
Moving out of that place gives you a whole new perspective....
and can change your situation.
"Being on the X is when you're going to be subject to attack. But you can translate it into different scenarios. If you're under the gun, literal or not, it's probably good to move."
If you missed his earlier episodes it's worth catching up on his perspective on life, dive bars and the Russians. Marc wrote a book called Clarity in Crisis: Lessons from the CIA.
BTW It's been a busy week.
I was a guest on various BBC shows after the showdown in the USA vs SA Oval Office between Trump and Ramaphosa.
Have a listen to my take on the BBC's Americast podcast with Justin Webb.
Robyn on the BBC
MARC'S EARLIER EPISODES
EPISODE: Russian Attack on CIA
EPISODE: Dive Bars-Happy Places