Tactical ignorance and the CIA Mindset

Tactical ignorance and the CIA Mindset. In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Rupal Patel about her book “From CIA to CIO” and the “CIA mindset”. Rupal shares that she has been a voracious reader and writer since childhood, with a deep appreciation for the power of words and communication. She discusses how this passion has been a consistent theme throughout her life, from writing fiction and plays as a child to her current work as an author.

Rupal explains that she worked at the CIA from her early 20s to early 30s, primarily as an analyst focused on political and military analysis. She enjoyed being surrounded by brilliant colleagues and the sense of mission in protecting the US, though she acknowledges a “darker side” to the work at times.

Key Takeaways

• The CIA mindset involves speaking truth to power, acknowledging uncertainties, and having enlightened swagger (confidence despite challenges)
• Going deep into your identity and values is key to thinking bigger
• Practice tactical ignorance by curating inputs and ignoring irrelevant noise/negativity
• Surround yourself with the right 5 people who inspire and push you forward

Topics

CIA Mindset

• Speaking truth to power: Providing hard truths to leaders without cowering to hierarchy
• Acknowledging uncertainties: Admitting what you don’t know with humility
• Enlightened swagger: Confidence to pursue ambitions despite challenges and complexities

Thinking Bigger

• Unpack your true identity, values, strengths separate from others’ expectations
• Exercises to crystallise your ambitions, drivers, high-performance contexts

Tactical Ignorance

• Curate inputs by ignoring irrelevant noise that distracts from goals
• Examples: Ignoring rank symbols, pregnancy risk stats, business failure rates
• Let in only relevant info from qualified sources to stay focused

People’s Influence

• We are the average of the 5 people we spend most time with
• Consciously choose these 5 – who inspires vs. keeps you static/pulls back
• Also be conscious of the energy you bring to others’ circles

In this conversation Rupal outlines two key aspects of the “CIA mindset” that she has carried forward: 1) Speaking truth to power – providing hard truths and acknowledging uncertainties, even to senior leaders, and 2) Enlightened swagger – accepting the realities of the world while still being ambitious and bold in pursuing one’s goals.

Rupal Patel is a former CIA analyst turned 2x Founder and CEO, bestselling author, consultant and speaker.

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Rupal Patel can be found on LinkedIn here. Her website can be found here.

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