Master Spy Recruiter
Master Spy Recruiter: Proactive Leadership and Relationship Building is Critical for ALL Success!
As a new FBI Agent right out of the Academy, I was assigned to a Russian Counter-Intelligence Squad in New York City. All I knew about recruiting Spies, I had learned from watching television shows and James Bond movies. From my understanding, the steps appeared to be obvious and straightforward. First, you identify the Spy and then you “pitch” them. In other words, you have a conversation about whether or not they are interested in committing espionage against their own country. I thought that the tool or skill set that I would need, would be nothing less than an ability to have a great conversation with a spy. I knew that I would need to be persuasive, but I could rely on my communication skills for that. Of course, all of these things are important, but none are as valuable as the many conversations and relationships you build prior to “the pitch” of the spy that will make you successful. I soon learned that these conversations and relationships are the real interpersonal communications skills you need to have when building the foundation of Spy Recruitment. My first case on the squad was to investigate the Cipher Clerks assigned to the Russian Mission. My goal was to identify their daily habits and try to initiate a Recruitment pitch, if the opportunity presented itself. It seemed simple enough, as I already knew their identity. Next, I would need to create a chance encounter. Maybe on a street corner not far from the Mission, where I could have a casual chat with them. At some point, the conversation would become serious and I would have to convince them that betraying their country would be beneficial for everyone involved. As a young agent, it seemed like a good plan in my mind and could not fail… My Mentor was a very experienced and intelligent Senior Agent at the FBI. Although he recognized my enthusiasm, he also addressed my total lack of patience and understanding of what this job truly required. I remember him asking if I wouldn’t mind running a few errands with him.
First, we went to the FBI garage to get an oil change and maintenance on our FBI vehicles. My mentor brought a box of donuts and coffee for the staff, who all knew him by name.
Then, we stopped by the Finance office to process the vouchers for our operations. Once again, we showed up with a box of chocolates and the Support Personnel knew him by name.
Next, we met with our FBI Static and Mobile Surveillance Teams. We showed up with sandwiches and talked about baseball for the entire afternoon. I was starting to see a pattern of behavior that my Mentor was teaching me, that would be the key to my success in the FBI.
Some mornings, my Mentor would bring homemade cookies to our Linguists and Translators. Then, we would casually chat about the lives of the Intelligence Officers they were monitoring for us.
Often, we would have lunch with the Analysts whose job was to assimilate and collect information on our Intelligence Officers. This Senior Agent seemed to know and have friends everywhere. Keep in mind that at the time, the New York City FBI office had over 1,200 Agents assigned to it.
Sometimes, we had to travel and take trips to Headquarters in Washington, DC where we would spend many hours with his old friends and colleagues who had risen in the ranks of the Administration. In order to succeed, we would need their support and approval for our operations.
Throughout the day, we would support and interact with other Squads in the Office. While speaking with the Squad Members, we would learn information and share valuable resources. Everyone benefitted from and was appreciative of our involvement and interest.
All of these ideas and actions were not written in some sort of manual or playbook. These behaviors were the choices of a Senior Agent who was teaching me to be proactive on forging Positive Relationships and creating Purposeful Teams. Each one of these relationships played a vital role in the success of our operation. I would soon learn that in our Division, my Mentor was known as the “Go to Guy.” He was the Agent that people reached out to, if they needed help or a job accomplished. These relationships that he had created had all become opportunities for not only his success, but the success of others. This network of relationships not only existed within the FBI, but also in other Intelligence Agencies and within the public. These relationships were the tools that provided critical operational information and success to an almost impossible and already difficult mission. Relationship Building was the key to success for one of the FBI's most lauded Recruiter of Spies and the person that has made the greatest impact on our National Security, that I have ever met. This success for himself and most importantly our country was a direct result of his Proactive Leadership. It took some time, patience and a lot of hard work but I was finally able to make a successful pitch of the Cipher Clerk. It was the first of many in my career that I attribute to the Proactive Leadership and Relationship Development Skills that I learned from watching and listening to the lessons of my Mentor. I took these life-long valuable skills and applied them not only to my FBI career, but also to the relationships in my personal life with family and friends.
