What does it take to be the Director of the CIA?
It’s no small feat to be in charge of a government organization, and the Director of the CIA has an incredible amount of responsibility. When it comes to national security, there really is no higher power or greater defense. That’s why it’s necessary to find the right person for the job. And for four years, today’s guest was that person.
Lao Tzu once said, “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” And Albert Einstein said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”
John Brennan lives up to those words. He is a man who commands respect, and he has proven himself to be worthy of trust with the most important matters.
John was the Director of the CIA from 2013 until 2017, and during that time, he was responsible for intelligence collection, analysis, covert action, counterintelligence, and liaison relationships with foreign intelligence services. From 2009 to 2013, John was assistant to the President for homeland security and counterterrorism.
Throughout his time working for the CIA and protecting our country, John lived an intense life. With so much pressure on his shoulders, he learned to live with self-doubt. He also learned how to live a life of integrity — even in situations where trust was hard to come by.
In addition to the pressure of living life as an undercover agent, John was also the Director of the CIA during the mission to take down Osama Bin Laden. It was one of the most high-stakes moments in recent history, and John led the CIA to a major intelligence victory. I was excited to talk with John about his story, and today, we share that story with you.
Our conversation ranged far and wide — it was truly an honor to get to talk with John. I can’t wait for all of you to hear this one!
Who Is John Brennan?
John Brennan grew up in New Jersey as the son of Irish immigrants. In 1977, he earned his BA in political science from Fordham University, and in 1980, he earned his MA in government with a concentration in Middle Eastern studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, during his time in college, John spent time studying at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where he learned to speak Arabic and spent time learning about Middle Eastern culture.
As a result of his studies, John was the perfect person to lead the United States in the war on terror. He understood Middle Eastern culture, and he had a better sense than most of what it would take to operate covertly in that part of the world. Still, he had to rise through the ranks first!
In 1980, John responded to an employment listing in the New York Times and took a job working for the CIA. He served in numerous positions throughout the organization, most often working in counterterrorism intelligence. He also helped lead efforts to form the National Counterterrorism Center.
For a few years, John retired from the CIA and worked in intelligence in the private sector. However, soon after, under President Obama, John was appointed as the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. During that time, John oversaw the use of drones to target terrorists in the Middle East. It was during this time that he oversaw the mission to target Osama Bin Laden — the founder of the terrorist group Al Qaeda.
Then, in 2013, John was named the Director of the CIA. During his tenure, John led the investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential Election. And in 2017, John retired from the CIA.
Since then, he’s published a book: Undaunted: My Fight Against America’s Enemies, at Home and Abroad. This book contains an inside account of John’s career as a public servant with numerous stories about his fight to keep America safe. I’d encourage you to check it out!
But first, make sure to listen to this episode! John shared a ton of fascinating stories with me, and along the way, he shared a lot of wisdom too. I truly enjoyed this conversation, and I think you will get as much out of it as I did.
Inside the Life of a CIA Agent
Since I had an actual former Director of the CIA on the show, I had to ask him about the life of a CIA member. What’s it like operating undercover? What is life like when you work for the CIA?
First of all, John clarified the difference between a CIA agent and a spy:
“CIA officers who engage in conducting espionage are called case officers — they’re operations officers. They are the ones who are trained in the tradecraft of espionage and go out and try to recruit foreign nationals to spy against their countries. … It’s those foreign nationals who are referred to as the spies.” – John Brennan
That’s a key distinction — case officers or CIA agents are the people working for the United States and trying to recruit people from other countries to give us intel. The foreign people from other countries who provide us with that intel are the spies.
When CIA agents go overseas to try to recruit spies, they have entirely different personas. They operate undercover with false names and documents, and they’re specially trained to work with foreign nationals and try to convince them to, essentially, commit treason against their countries. Those agents learn a lot of techniques they can use to verify information and remain undercover. For example, they often use polygraph tests to confirm whether their spies are telling the truth. They also have to work very hard, along with the CIA operatives working here at home, to ensure their covers aren’t blown.
With so much secrecy in their lives, it’s easy to see why CIA caseworkers live with a certain amount of paranoia. It’s hard to maintain a level of inner peace and integrity when you spend so much time embodying a different persona. They’re constantly making sure they’re not being followed or tracked, and they have to conceal a lot of their lives. John revealed to me that the CIA has “Family Days” where agents get to bring their families to headquarters, and for many kids, those days are the first times the agents’ children learn that their parents work for the CIA.
So, how do CIA agents maintain a sense of peace and integrity? The truth is, it’s difficult. But at the end of the day, they operate with the knowledge that they’re doing everything to protect their country.
“Of course, we have to take care of our own country and our own people, but that doesn’t mean we do it at the expense of the rest of the world. … The more the United States is seen as being an advocate for the growth and prosperity of the world, I think … the better off we will be as well.” – John Brennan
Life isn’t easy for CIA operatives, but their work is so necessary. The efforts of CIA agents and employees in protecting our country and fighting terrorism are huge and have life-saving effects for Americans, so even though they live with a certain amount of fear and paranoia, agents choose that life to protect the country they love.
