The Profile Dossier: Amaryllis Fox, the ex-CIA agent performing the most clandestine operations
The Profile Dossier: Amaryllis Fox, the ex-CIA agent performing the most clandestine operations"The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them."At 21 years old, Amaryllis Fox was recruited into the CIA. By 22, she was one of the youngest female officers assigned to “non-official cover,” which means she conducted operations abroad but had no diplomatic protections as part of the most top-secret unit at the Agency. Fox was assigned to operations around counter-terrorism, which means she was sent to infiltrate terrorist networks in remote areas of the Middle East and Asia. When she was invited to join the CIA’s “Clandestine Service” unit, she says it’s “the scariest invitation I’ve ever been given and the one invitation I’ve most wanted to receive.” In her memoir, Life Undercover, Fox writes, “I got into this business to understand the people who attacked us, so I could make them stop. With this single letter, I might finally have the chance to meet them face-to-face.” The work was emotionally grueling. When she is assigned to cover Iraq, her first task is to watch the same beheading video a hundred times in a row, focusing on a different grid square of the image each time to note any over-looked clue it might give to the location of the crime. Although Fox was trained how to use a Glock, how to get out of flexi-cuffs while locked in the trunk of a car, and how to withstand torture, the bulk of her work was focused on the most simple skill of all: Listening with intent. Her work required her to meet with dangerous arms dealers and people who wanted to see Americans dead, but she had to put all of that aside for a period of time. She learned that in order to extract information from her counterpart, she first had to humanize him — not as an arms dealer, but as a fellow parent, for example. "The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them," she says. "If you hear them out, if you're brave enough to really listen to their story, you can see that more often than not you might've made some of the same choices if you'd lived their life instead of yours.” I was surprised to find out that there’s a lot we can learn from the work of a CIA agent. After reading this dossier, you’ll walk away with practical tools around empathy, conflict resolution, and authenticity. ✨ The rest of this newsletter is only available for premium members of The Profile. Their support makes this work possible. If you’re not already a premium member, consider upgrading your subscription below for access to the full Profile Dossier. ✨... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Profile to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives. A subscription gets you:
|
Key phrases
Older messages
The Profile: The big bank CEO moonlighting as a D.J. & the ‘crypto pragmatist’
Sunday, February 26, 2023
This edition of The Profile features Joe Montana, David Solomon, Alexis Ohanian, and more.
The Profile Dossier: Phil Stutz, the Therapist Offering Practical Tools to Help You Navigate Life
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
"The highest creative expression for a human being is to be able to create something new right in the face of adversity."
The Profile: The woman helping the world’s most powerful navigate crisis
Sunday, February 19, 2023
This week's edition of The Profile features Risa Heller, Nic Askew, Stefon Diggs, Rebecca Black, and more.
The Profile Dossier: John Gottman, the Love Scientist
Friday, February 17, 2023
“Successful long-term relationships are created through small words, small gestures, and small acts.”
The Profile: Asia’s richest man who lost $100 billion & the private equity-owned toddler gyms
Sunday, February 12, 2023
This week's edition of The Profile features Gautam Adani, Nims Purja, Chrishell Stause, and more.
You Might Also Like
💌 Who Do You Love?
Monday, April 29, 2024
Knowing, Growing & Loving Your Subscribers
Why marketers are leveraging predictive, generative and autonomous AI
Monday, April 29, 2024
Guide: The AI trends e-commerce brands are deploying for a competitive edge
The marketing strategy you overlooked
Monday, April 29, 2024
Today's Guide to the Marketing Jungle from Social Media Examiner... Presented by Social Media Marketing World logo It's Hairstyle Appreciation Day, Reader! It's a good day to 🙏 thank the
Podcast app setup
Monday, April 29, 2024
Open this on your phone and click the button below: Add to podcast app
Quiet Quitting vs. Setting Healthy Boundaries: Where's The Line?
Monday, April 29, 2024
One in three employees are quiet quitting in 2024. Is quiet quitting synonymous with setting healthy boundaries — or does it suggest a deeper problem?
See who's speaking at SaaStr Annual this year
Monday, April 29, 2024
And save 20% before prices go up May 1 To view this email as a web page, click here SaaStr Annual 2024 | Sept 10-12 | SF Bay Area Hey SaaStr Community, We're gearing up for SaaStr Europa 2024 in
There Is So Much Money Sloshing Around The System
Monday, April 29, 2024
Listen now (2 mins) | READER NOTE: This Thursday I am hosting a free webinar for anyone who is trying to transition into a new job in the bitcoin and crypto industry. Previously, my team and I have
Agtech's big valuation reset
Monday, April 29, 2024
Corporate buyers lead on IT deals; layoffs drag down gaming stocks; RevenueCat bags $12M for subscription management Read online | Don't want to receive these emails? Manage your subscription. Log
Cycling Mikey
Monday, April 29, 2024
Before we as leaders have a difficult conversation, we need to understand how we present the information is as important as the information itself.
Core Update Homework ✏️
Monday, April 29, 2024
To-dos after a Google Core Update.