Episode 43: Bob Gourley on Operational Intelligence for Strategic Decision-making

In this OODAcast, OODA Network Expert Jen Hoar interviews noted cybersecurity and intelligence professional Bob Gourley, CTO of OODA LLC, diving deep into what makes him tick.

Jen asks Bob about his career, including the constants and dynamics in his professional life, starting with a deep background in operational intelligence as a naval intelligence officer. She explores his strengths and weaknesses and how he makes decisions in domains of overwhelming information. Jen asks Bob for advice for others on ways to keep learning.

A key point underscored by Bob was how organizations need to find balance between the use of technology for collection and analysis and humans for collection and analysis when it comes to understanding complex situations. Lessons on writing and how it can help a career are also examined.

Jen pulls stories from Bob he has never publicly revealed, including insights into how operational intelligence drove decisions in many joint and naval operations, and how those related to the business world today.

Bob's anecdotes make it clear, "Great leaders thrive on intelligence and they take action on it."

For more see:

• OODA LLC: Providing due diligence and cybersecurity services
• An Executive’s Guide To Cognitive Bias in Decision Making: Important insights into how human bias can impact decisions
• A Practitioner’s View of Corporate Intelligence: An overview of what a comprehensive program entails
• Optimizing Corporate Intelligence: Ways to get the most out of your efforts to gain decision advantage through intelligence
• Useful Standards For Corporate Intelligence: There are so many ways standards can help but the wrong standards can degrade your intelligence efforts.