The Cognitive Crucible

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Alex del Castillo of Zignal Labs and John De Rosa discuss applied social science related to measuring effectiveness of operations in the information environment. Our wide-ranging conversation touches upon helping decision-makers visualize the information environment, cloud computing, nurturing an innovation culture, and in-demand near-term future capabilities. John and Alex discuss how measuring IO effectiveness includes several sub-components such as horizonal and vertical contextual understanding of the whole information environment, establishing agnostic baselines, filtering and searching, target audience definition, and measuring based upon area targets instead of point targets. The national security and commercial marketplaces seem to be blending and asking for predictive and prescriptive analytics, narrative intelligence, sandbox information environments, geospatial, and meme analysis.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #69 Venhaus on ARLIS & the Cognitive Security Proving Ground
• Narrativized Strategic Choice by John DeRosa
• Wargaming Contest Narratives by John DeRosa and Arnel David

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-82

Guest Bios:

As Zignal's Chief Revenue Officer, Alex del Castillo leads all revenue generation processes while ensuring accountability and alignment with product development, marketing, and customer success. A former Chicago prosecuting attorney, enlisted Marine turned naval officer, and Booz Allen Hamilton consultant to U.S. Special Operations Forces, he brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple critical disciplines to Zignal Labs.

John DeRosa has served over twenty years as a soldier, officer, and civilian in the U.S. Department of Defense. Concurrently, he is an Adjunct Professor Government and Politics at the University of Maryland Global Campus. He has a Ph.D. and MSc from the Carter School of Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, a MSc in National Security Strategy from the National War College, a MA in National Security Studies, and a BA in Economics from California State University, San Bernardino. His book Narrativized Strategic Choice was published in 2020.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, MAJ Cassandra Brooker presents her Master's research report entitled: "The Effectiveness of Influence Activities in Information Warfare." Cass asserts that Western democracies are already at war in the information domain and are being out-communicated by adversaries. In her study, she fuses three research disciplines: systems thinking, influence, and behavioural science to better understand mental models and enable a deeper understanding of influencing tactics. We discuss the notion of feedback loops, which are critical to understanding influence. Finally, Cass reviews two case studies–ISIS and the Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential campaign.

Resources:

• The Effectiveness of Influence Activities in Information Warfare by Cassandra Brooker
• Rand Paper: Systems Confrontation and System Destruction Warfare: How the Chinese People's Liberation Army Seeks to Wage Modern Warfare
• Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results by David Peter Stroh

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-81

Guest Bio:

Major Cassandra Brooker is an Australian Intelligence Officer, who is currently posted to the Advanced Warfighting Evaluation Section developing future and emerging threat products in support of the Australian Army's Aviation capability.

Major Brooker was born in New Zealand and served two years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force before immigrating to Australia. She graduated from the Royal Military College in 2002 and has held a diverse range of postings throughout her career, including: developing aviation intelligence, collection and targeting capabilities; specialisations in remote-sensing and geospatial intelligence; campaign planning to defeat ISIS at the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command in Baghdad; and as the ADF's first bilateral student to study at the Military Science Academy in Hanoi.

MAJ Brooker undertook a Masters of Research in 2019 at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Canberra, on a Chief of Army's Scholarship. Her thesis spanned three academic disciplines of: Systems Thinking, Influence Activities, and Cognitive Theory to investigate solutions for improving Australia's influence effectiveness in information warfare. She also holds a Bachelor of Professional Studies (Peace Studies) from University of New England, a Master of Justice (Intelligence) from Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Science from University of Queensland.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Hank Thomas of Strategic Cyber Ventures discusses his perspective on tech entrepreneurialism and how the national security organizations are engaging with the venture capital community.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #41 Ilves on the Estonian Perspective
  • #16 Brown on Deception Technology
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-80

Guest Bio: Hank Thomas is a Washington D.C. based Venture Capital Investor, Founder, and CEO of Strategic Cyber Ventures (SCV). SCV invests in rapidly growing cybersecurity, privacy, and resiliency focused technology companies. The SCV team brings an expert, more modern venture capital experience to startup founders and the broader investment ecosystem, working every day to bridge the gap between emerging commercial technology and corporate and national security challenges. Hank is a former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, and former Booz Allen Hamilton security consultant and executive. He leverages 24 years of experience to identify, invest in, and help mature differentiated technology companies. SCV's portfolio currently has seven active investments. Hank serves as a member of the board of directors for cybersecurity technology companies Polarity, ID DataWeb, and TrapX Security, as well as on the advisory board of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Hank is also the Co-Founder of the SCVX Acquisition Corporation (NYSE:SCVX), a national security focused Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation (SPAC).

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr. Brendan Mulvaney of the Air University's China Aerospace Studies Institute discusses geo-political, cultural, military, and talent matters related to China. Our conversation also includes a review of CASI's "In Their Own Words" series which is a series of translations that cover a wide range of topics related to the China Communist Party and People's Liberation Army. Brendan gives his thoughts on one of these translations called: Lectures on Joint Campaign Information Operations. Other topics covered include: technical standards, talent, trust, technology acquisition and the OODA loop.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #74 Tabassi on NIST, Technology Standards, and Trust
• China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI)
• CASI Wikipedia
• CASI's In Their Own Words Webpage
• In Their Own Words: Lectures on Joint Campaign Information Operations

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-79

Guest Bio: Dr. Brendan Mulvaney is the Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute--part of the Air University. Prior to this position, Dr. Mulvaney was a US Marine Corps cobra pilot and Chinese language and cultural expert.

Dr. Brendan Mulvaney is the Director of the China Aerospace Studies Institute. Dr. Mulvaney served as a Marine for a quarter of a century, where he flew more than 2000 hours as a AH-1W Cobra pilot, and was an Olmsted Scholar in Shanghai, China. He served at Camp Pendleton, CA; in China as an Olmsted Scholar at Fudan University, where he earned his Ph.D. in International Relations; in Iraq; in Washington D.C. as the inaugural Director of the Commandant of the Marine Corps' Red Team, and most recently at U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis where he was the Associate Chair for Languages and Cultures and taught Chinese language and culture.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

In this crossover episode of the Phoenix Cast and Cognitive Crucible, John Bicknell is joined by John Schreiner, Kyle Moschetto and Rich Vaccariello. The podcast hosts discuss why they started their respective casts, how they view competition, the key take-aways of their casts, the top must listen episodes, and the other podcasts they listen to.

Cognitive Crucible show notes page

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-78

Links and Resources:

• MCDP 1-4 Competing
• Phoenix Cast Episodes Mentioned:
  • Nate Fick
  • SolarWinds Reaction
  • Gene Kim
• Cognitive Crucible Episodes Mentioned:
  • #24 Davis on Modern Warfare, Teamwork, and Commercial Cognitive Security
  • #38 Reynolds on Operations in the Information Environment
  • #63 Vickers on IO and the Cyclops
• Books, Movie, and Other Podcast Suggestions:
  • Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
  • Hackers (1995 Movie)
  • Unlocking Us Podcast with Brene Brown
    • Life-Changing Inventions in Literature with Dr. Angus Fletcher
    • The New Rules of Leadership with Abby Wambach
  • EconTalk Podcast with Russ Roberts
  • Hard Core History Podcast with Dan Carlin
  • Net Assessment Podcast
  • DarkHorse Podcast with Dr Bret Weinstein and Dr. Heather Heying
  • Watch "Ron's Gone Wrong" movie with your children.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr. Paul Lopata of the Laboratory for Physical Sciences in College Park Maryland discusses the origins of quantum mechanics including philosophical underpinnings and a recap of the famous double-slit experiment which prompted physicists to start thinking about light as having both wave and particle properties. Paul connects quantum theory and cognitive security using words and concepts like trust, probabilistic reasoning, and making decisions with limited information, and in the presence of risk. He also describes advances in quantum computing and cryptography, prime numbers, Shor's algorithm, and NP-hard problems.

Resources:

• Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
  • #74 Tabassi on NIST, Technology Standards, and Trust
• Laboratory for Physical Sciences
• YouTube videos:
  • Quantum explainer
  • The Quantum Experiment that Broke Reality
  • Shor's algorithm
  • For information regarding Reviving and Modernizing Automated Celestial Navigation, search for: "USAF-19-PEO-BM-6.G"
• DHS guidance on mitigation to new cryptographic standards
• RAND report for preparing for new cryptographic standards
• NIST website on their new standards competition
• National Quantum Coordination Office
• NSA Cybersecurity Directorate Publications
• NSA Cybersecurity Quantum
• IEEE Spectrum: PROTECTING GPS FROM SPOOFERS IS CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF NAVIGATION
• Where Time Comes From: The time that ends up on your smartphone—and that synchronizes GPS, military operations, financial transactions, and internet communications—originates in a set of atomic clocks on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Dr. Demetrios Matsakis, Chief Scientist for USNO's Time Services, gives a tour.
• The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
• Lincoln in the Telegraph Office: Recollections of the United States Military Telegraph Corps During the Civil War by David Homer Bates

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-77

Guest Bio: Dr. Paul Lopata is a quantum research scientist at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences in College Park Maryland. Previously, Paul served as the Principal Director for Quantum Science in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering where he focused on quantum technology modernization. He was also Executive Secretary for the Defense Science Board's Task Force on Applications of Quantum Technologies.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Dr. Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute discusses foundational concepts contained within the United States Constitution and institutions, in general. He also gives his opinions regarding strengths and weaknesses of the Constitution and interactions with institutions. In closing, Yuval makes the case for why it is important for information professionals to study the Constitution and institutional dynamics.

Resources:

• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
• On Thinking Institutionally by Hugh Heclo

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-76

Guest Bio: Yuval Levin is the director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He also holds the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Public Policy. The founding and current editor of National Affairs, he is also a senior editor of The New Atlantis and a contributing editor to National Review.

Dr. Levin and scholars in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies research division study the foundations of self-government and the future of law, regulation, and constitutionalism. They also explore the state of American social, political, and civic life, while focusing on the preconditions necessary for family, community, and country to flourish.

Dr. Levin served as a member of the White House domestic policy staff under President George W. Bush. He was also executive director of the President's Council on Bioethics and a congressional staffer at the member, committee, and leadership levels.

In addition to being interviewed frequently on radio and television, Dr. Levin has published essays and articles in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Commentary. He is the author of several books on political theory and public policy, most recently "A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream" (Basic Books).

He holds an MA and PhD from the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Col. Todd Manyx discusses the Marine Corps Information Operations Center (MCIOC), influence, and battlespace awareness. Our wide ranging conversation covers the origin story of the MCIOC, its components, talent considerations, and current and emerging partnerships with other Department of Defense and international organizations.

Resources:

• Related Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes
  • #13 Russell on Behind Enemy Lines
  • #20 Paul on the Firehose of Falsehood
• Marine Corps Talent Management 2030
• RAND Research Report: Opportunities for Including the Information Environment in U.S. Marine Corps Wargames by Christopher Paul, Yuna Huh Wong, Elizabeth M. Bartels
• The Information Warfighter Exercise Wargame Rulebook by Christopher Paul, Ben Connable, Jonathan Welch, Nate Rosenblatt, Jim McNeive
• Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War by August Cole and Peter Singer
• LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media by Peter Singer
• Influence: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini
• Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
• Barton Whaley
• Practise to Deceive: Learning Curves of Military Deception Planners by Barton Whaley
• Stratagem: Deception and Surprise in War by Barton Whaley

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-75

Guest Bio: Colonel Manyx has 35 years of service, both officer and enlisted, in the United States Marine Corps. Following Basic Training in 1985, (he served as an Aviation Support Equipment Technician and, later, as an Intelligence Specialist and an Embassy Security Guard. In 1993, then Staff Sergeant. Manyx was selected to participate in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (with Distinction) and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, he was assigned as an Intelligence Officer.

Colonel Manyx has been fortunate to hold command at the company and battalion levels as well as numerous staff officer positions to include Company Executive Officer, Battalion Operations Officer, and Battalion Executive Officer. Colonel Manyx is a Regional Affairs Officer specializing in the Middle East as well as a former Latin American Foreign Area Officer. He is a Joint Qualified Officer, who has completed joint service tours with U.S. Central Command (Tampa, FL), International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan), and with the Joint Staff in the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He has had the distinction of twice serving as a Commandant of the Marine Corps Fellow first at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, and then with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

His senior staff experience includes service as a personal staff member for both the Commander and Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command, the Commander, International Security Assistance Force - Afghanistan, and with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as a Strategic Analyst for the Commandant of the Marine Corps.

Colonel Manyx is a graduate of numerous military and civilian schools. This includes a Master of Arts degree from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts degree from the Fletcher School, Tufts University. He also graduated from the Defense Language Institute and completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Program.

His personal decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2nd Award), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (3rd Award), Meritorious Service Medal (2nd Award), Navy Commendation Medal (2nd Award), and the Navy Achievement Medal.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Elham Tabassi discusses the National Institute of Standards and Technology's mission and various initiatives currently underway. After recapping the areas of focus for each of NIST's major laboratories, Elham discusses fingerprint biometric identification technology, artificial intelligence standardization, and NIST's newly released Request For Information soliciting public comment on the People's Republic of China (PRC) policies and influence in the development of international standards for emerging technologies. In order to encourage diversity of opinion and inclusivity, public engagement is encouraged with any of NIST's efforts. Like previous podcast guests, Elham agrees that trust is of utmost importance today, and this applies to nonpartisan technology standards development, as well.

Resources:

• • Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned
    • #56 Bob Jones on Governance
  • National Institute of Standards and Technology
  • NIST AI RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
  • NIST Seeks Information on Chinese Participation in the International Standards Development Process
  • Study on People's Republic of China (PRC) Policies and Influence in the Development of International Standards for Emerging Technologies
  • Circular No. A-119 -- Federal Register (Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities)
  • NIST Fingerprint Image Quality (NFIQ)

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-74

Guest Bio: Elham Tabassi is the Chief of Staff in the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (or NIST), whose mission is to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. ITL conducts fundamental and applied research in computer science and engineering, mathematics, and statistics that cultivates trust in information technology and metrology by developing and disseminating standards, measurements, and testing for interoperability, security, usability, and reliability of information systems.

As a scientist, Elham has been working on various computer vision research projects with applications in biometrics evaluation and standards since 1999. For example, she is the principal architect of NIST Fingerprint Image Quality (NFIQ) which is now an international standard for measuring fingerprint image quality and has been deployed worldwide. In late 2020, Elham was recognized by the Washington Academy of Sciences for contributions and leadership in computer vision, fingerprint image analysis, facial recognition algorithms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

She received the Department of Commerce Gold Medal in 2003, the Department of Commerce Bronze Medal in 2007, and 2010, ANSI's 2012 Next Generation Award, and the Women in Biometrics Award in 2016 for her contributions to biometrics. She is a member of the OSAC Friction Ridge subcommittee and co-chairs FIDO Biometrics Certification working group.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association.

During this episode, Ori Brafman discusses implications of the rise of decentralized organizations which is presented in his seminal book: The Starfish and the Spider. He then applies human network dynamics to leadership within organizations, like the United States Department of Defense. Our conversation also touches upon the importance of institutional trust, the military-civilian divide, human-ness, resilience, and shared values.

Link to full show notes and resources

https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-73

Guest Bio:

Ori Brafman's recent bestselling book, Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership, co-authored with 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, argues that inclusion is no longer a "nice-to-have", but a strategic imperative in today's rapidly changing world. His seminal work, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations, is often cited by the U.S. military and blockchain technology companies alike. Its concepts have been utilized by Amazon, Google, Netflix, Facebook, Cisco Systems, the Association for Financial Professionals, and the Family Business Network.

Born in Israel and raised in Texas, Ori specializes in cultural transformation and unique approaches to problem solving. His ideas have been applied by Amazon, Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Cisco, Intel, the Chicago Bulls, the San Francisco 49ers, Facebook, Family Business Network, and PWC. He has advised all branches of the U.S. military, the Obama White House, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since 2010 U.S. Army generals have been required to complete Ori's leadership curriculum.

Ori is a Distinguished Teaching Fellow at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business where he lectures on improvisational leadership and artificial intelligence. He leads an intensive strategic broadening seminar between UC Berkeley and the U.S. Army and created a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Haas School of Business and the U.S. military's National Defense University.

Ori's media appearances include the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, CBS, MSNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox News, ABC News, BBC, National Public Radio, CNBC, CNN, and C-SPAN. He has presented before audiences at Fortune 500 companies, the White House, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, the Association of Financial Professionals, the Organization of Nurse Executives, NATO, YPO, and others. His published books include Radical Inclusion: What the Post-9/11 World Should Have Taught Us About Leadership; The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations; Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior; Click: The Forces Behind How We Fully Engage with People, Work, and Everything We Do; and The Chaos Imperative: How Chance and Disruption Increase Innovation, Effectiveness, and Success.

Ori is founder and president of Starfish Leadership and co-founder of the Fully Charged Institute, which combines Ori's work with that of Tom Rath. The Institute focuses on leadership and well-being and helps organizations improve performance and gain competitive advantage in an era of new business models. Ori holds partnerships with Second City Works and ExecOnline to create new leadership programs for corporate audiences.

Ori holds a BA in Peace and Conflict from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain.

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.