Michael Morell, former deputy director and twice acting director of CIAis no stranger to high-risk situations.
Image Credit: Courtesy of MasterClass. Michael Morell.
During his decades-long career with the agency, Morell had to lead under pressure on many occasions, from briefing President George W. Bush during the 9/11 attacks to conducting secret negotiations in North Korea under President Barack Obama.
Morell did not intend to become a leader in CIAbut when he was drafted at age 22, the idea of serving his country and providing critical information to decision makers convinced him to give the job a chance—and he continued to do it for more than 33 years.
“There's something neat about that, where your job is to say what you really think, not based on policy or policy preferences or anything like that,” Morell says. “It's just what you see as the truth. You may be wrong sometimes, but it's what you see as the truth.”
In a new class on MasterClass, The Art of Intelligence: The CIA's Secrets to SuccessMorell and CIA veterans Brian Carbaugh and Dawn Meyerriecks break the mold of decision-making and leadership strategies they rose to the highest levels of American intelligence.
entrepreneur sat down with Morelli to discuss some of those lessons in critical thinking and adaptability and how they can create strong leaders across industries.
A lesson in leadership from President George W. Bush on 9/11
Morell remembers 9/11 “like it was yesterday.” He was with President Bush on Air Force One. The Pentagon burned in the distance. An F16 was flying close enough to see the pilot.
The president's military aide told Morelli that the F16 was there to put itself between a potential missile and the president as the last line of defense. “It still gives me chills when I talk about it,” Morell says.
At one point, President Bush looked Morelli in the eye and asked him who was behind the attacks. Morell said that even if Iran or Iraq were able to orchestrate the attacks, the countries had nothing to gain and everything to lose. “So I told him, 'I think when we get to the end of the road, we're going to find bin Laden and al-Qaeda.'”
Morell had to make a quick, critical assessment, but he says he learned more from President Bush as a DECISION that day. When Morell asked the president if he was okay, he replied, “I'm fine. And now I know why I'm president of the United States.” Morell recalls that he was not angry, frustrated or shocked, “but firm in his determination to make sure this never happens again.”
That year also taught Morell what a president needs from their intelligence service: what works and what doesn't, and how to talk to a president when “you have to tell them things that they might not want to.” they listen to them”. It can be uncomfortable, Morell admits, but it's also how you learn speak truth to power.
Secret negotiations in North Korea, plus the challenge and importance of sensitivity
If someone is spying for the US on their country or group, whether it's a terrorist organization or a drug trafficking organization, you will only get them to that point if you show a large amount of SENSITIVE for them, according to Morell.
“You're trying to understand what motivates them, trying to understand who they are and why they're doing it,” he explains.
This is what Morell tried to do North Koreawhere he conducted secret negotiations under President Obama. It was not easy. The most challenging person to talk to was the head of their organization “that didn't do such nice things outside of North Korea (and had killed) people.”
“When I first walked into his office, he didn't even say hello, he didn't shake my hand — he started the meeting by saying, 'You can't be here,'” Morell recalled. “I said, 'Excuse me? ” And he said, 'I'm sanctioned by your government, so how come you're sitting here talking to me?
It was hard to tell SENSITIVE in that situation, Morell admits. In general, when it comes to expanding sensitivity, there should always be a bit of give and take – and the person who is trying to achieve a goal, whether it be to get an opponent on their side or something else, should be the one to to initiate. that meaning, he says.
Related: What is empathy and why is it so important to great leaders?
How to build on empathy to cultivate key relationships and trust
Once you have used empathy to get to know someone and develop a relationship that goes beyond the work at hand — maybe it's about sports, movies, books, or your kids — makes it much easier to give them direct, constructive feedback, Morell says.
The strategy may be particularly effective for people in head positions if an employee makes a mistake or does not show good judgment. Morell used the tactic often at the CIA; leading with compassion and understanding made difficult conversations more enjoyable.
“I could actually say to (a team member), 'Michael, I love you. I really do, but what were you thinking when you did X, Y or Z?' So they know you really love them, right?” explains Morell. “And it makes it a lot easier to say, 'But what were you thinking?'
Moreover, whenever Morell had to make negative comments about an intellectual product, such as a paper or report, he avoided talking about the individual negatively and instead focused on the work itself—changing “Here's what's not did” with “Here's what the newspaper didn't do.”
that head the strategy made it easier to fix the product and get it to the president on time, Morell says.
How to spot fraud using body language in less than 30 minutes
Most of all effective leaderswhether in the CIA or business, must also be able to tell when FAITH breaks down.
To determine if someone is lying for you, it's essential to understand that person's underlying behavior, Carbaugh notes in the course. Pay attention to how they act during the “normal cadence of conversation”: how they communicate thoughts and answer questions in a typical, non-threatening scenario.
Carbaugh recalls an instance after 9/11 when he was trying to gather information about bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders. He knew an informer wasn't being honest when he started shaking his leg—he still had been up to that point.
Related: How to spot a liar in seconds using non-verbal communication
When someone is a cheater, theirs body language and speech patterns can provide important clues. But one person's utterance will not necessarily resemble another, as everyone's underlying behavior may be different.
However, according to Morell, it shouldn't take long to understand someone's basic behavior – you can probably get a clear understanding of it in less than 30 minutes.
Basic behaviors may vary, but eye contactor lack thereof, may be a common saying.
Morell shares a relevant example: Someone makes eye contact with you throughout the conversation, then says something that doesn't sound right—and they're not looking at you anymore.
Related: This body language expert's “Triangulation” method will help you catch a liar in the act
The metaphor of the field fence and what makes a strong and effective leader
As deputy director of CIAMorell often spoke to other leaders about the metaphor of a field fence.
The idea is this: You and your employees are both in a field, and there are three possible outcomes, only one of which is correct. You don't want your employees to be on one side of the fence while you are on the other. You also don't want to join your employees on their side of the fence. Instead, you have to convince people to come over to your side of the fence.
Morell provides an example to illustrate the point in practical terms. “When your employees complain to you about five levels of review to send something to the president, do you join them and complain about that too?” He asks. “Or explain to them why it makes sense and why it's so important?”
“It's about knowing how to manage the organization to get the job done today and make it even better tomorrow.”
In addition to keeping in mind the metaphor of the field fence, strong, effective leaders it must do three things, according to Morell.
First, good leader must know their business inside and out. “Now, that doesn't mean you have to know it when you walk in the door,” Morell explains, “but if you don't know it when you walk in the door, you better learn it real quick. Learn the business, learn the culture, learn that how things are done because you can't run a country without it.
Related: 5 ways to be a strong leader
of the best leaders also have a vision and plan for exactly where they want to go – and know how to articulate that to a team.
“People want to follow someone,” Morell says, “and if they don't think you're going somewhere, they're not going to look at you the right way.”
Finally, successful leaders deal with everyone on their team individually. Managers should set expectations for every person who works for them at every level and provide feedback regularly, not once or twice a year, but almost every day, according to Morell.
Related: 5 Ways Strong Leaders Handle Uncertainty With Agility and Empathy
Effective leaders must also know theirs employee motivations and goals and what support they need to grow and be willing to have frequent conversations with them about this topic, Morell says.
“It's about knowing how to manage the organization to get the job done today and make it even better tomorrow, and for your employees to fully understand that,” Morell says. “And then it's about managing the individual and getting the best out of them and managing their career so they know you have their best interests at heart.”