Leading Intelligence Analysis
Lessons from the CIA’s Analytic Front Lines
—Mark M. Lowenthal, PhD, Intelligence & Security Academy, LLC
Written by an experienced professional who has led Navy Intelligence and CIA analysts in high-stakes situations, Leading Intelligence Analysis introduces the fundamental managerial skills and practical tools needed to lead analysis projects conducted by individuals and teams. Author Bruce Pease provides insights into key questions such as What kind of environment draws out a team’s best work? What brings out their creativity? When does pressure bring out their best insights? When does pressure sap their intellectual energy? and What kind of team builds new knowledge rather than engaging in group-think?
This book draws on the author’s perspective from decades of leading intelligence analysts on critical issues, including war in the Middle East, terrorism after 9/11, and nuclear threats.
Key Features
- Practical advice helps leaders of analytic units nurture insight with the understanding that it can be enabled but not manufactured.
- Discussion of a range of different types of analysis serves leaders conducting research in areas including data analysis, security analysis, geopolitical analysis, threat warning, counterterrorism, and business climate analysis.
- Practical advice on judging IT tools guides leaders to the correct data science approach for various situations.
| The Leader of Analysis or the Uberanalyst |
| Which Substantive Analyst Responsibilities Carry Over? |
| No Lazy Thinking |
| Setting Standards for the First Time |
| Analyze Everything |
| Some Classic Traps |
| Ten Things Analysts Hate |
| Nurturing Trust is Job 1 |
| Taking the Pulse |
| Seven Critical Balances |
| Stress in the Environment |
| Evolving Approaches: Three Paradigms |
| Picking your paradigm |
| Blending Approaches |
| The Expanding Menu of Analytic Techniques |
| Keep Your Eye Out for New Choices |
| Creative Analysis? |
| Stifling Creativity and Innovation in Analysis |
| And What of Insight? |
| Promoting Creativity, Innovation, and Insight |
| Toxic Questioning |
| The Right Question |
| The Wrong Question |
| Analyzing Predictability |
| When History Pivots |
| Humility, an Open Mind, and Practice Required |
| Prediction is Always a Gamble |
| Prediction is the Leader’s Responsibility |
| What’s the Worst that Could Happen? Leading Warning |
| What Is Reasonable in an Unreasonable World? |
| What am I doing in this business? |
| Leading a Dialogue on Values |
| Climbing Down off the Analyst’s High Horse |
| Driving Collection |
| Resisting Politicization |
| Are We Responsible for Consequences? |
| Impact of Covert Action |
| In Closing |
| The Business Part of the Business |
| Ensuring Brand Loyalty (Getting Your Customers Hooked on Your Service) |
| Prioritize Your Customers |
| Tend Your Organization’s Reputation with the Front Office |
| Align Your Enterprise |
| Business Is Too Good—I’m Swamped! |
| Change is Reality |
| It Doesn’t Take an MBA |
| Judging Tools For Analysis |
| First- and Second-Level IT Tools to Help All Analysts |
| Third-level Tools: Big Data, Data Science, and Predictive Analytics |
| Two Keys: Volume and Repetition |
| The Dreaded—but Inevitable—Black Box |
| The Analyst Is Not About to be Replaced |
| Get Your Mind Right and Theirs |
| Build an Information Strategy |
| Can we analyze faster? |
| Nurture Your Inner Opportunist |
“Bruce Pease has written a much needed book on a long ignored topic: how does one lead analysts? Most analysis is, at some level a group activity, whether in government or the private sector. Much has been written about good vs. bad analysis and how to train analysts, but Pease, himself a veteran senior CIA analyst and manger, focuses on what the managers and leaders of these analysts need to know and should be thinking about. Leadership matters in analysis as in all other endeavors and Pease offers invaluable guidance on how best to do this. This book is a must for anyone in a leadership role in an analytic enterprise.”
“While Director of CIA, I sometimes described the analytic workforce there as resembling a tenured college faculty as I worked to preserve the excellence and independence of thought so essential to success (in either body) while harnessing those energies to a common, disciplined enterprise. Bruce Pease was my guide and counselor for that effort and now Bruce has captured his advice and wisdom in Leading Intelligence Analysis, a must read for any senior in or out of government who leads—or depends on—analysis.”
"A very thoughtful book by a very thoughtful and respected professional. But this book goes way beyond thoughtful. It is exciting — the topics are hard to resist. And it is practical, putting powerful ideas into context. The lessons carry beyond intelligence analysis — they hit home for corporate leaders struggling to make forecasts despite ambiguity, complexity and deception."
“Bruce Pease is one of the finest leaders and analysts to ever serve at the Central Intelligence Agency. Few had his ability to cut through complicated issues and provide senior leaders with wisdom. No matter what business you are in, Bruce brings clarity and balance to help get the most out of your forecasters, inundated with data in this digital age. The results will be game changing.”
