Intelligence Skills in the Past, Present and Future

In this Intelligence Project seminar, Lorie Roule, a Senior Executive with Transparent Language, Inc. and a former CIA senior officer, provided a snapshot of work in intelligence through the lens of her own 35-year career, including implementing a Director-mandated language initiative and designing the CIA’s Talent Center. She spoke about career skills applicable to intelligence work and beyond. 

Lorie first worked as a Collections Management Officer (CMO) in the Directorate of Operations. CMOs sit between operations officers and analysts/policymakers, sorting who needs to know what, guiding collection, and packaging intelligence to ensure that it is useful for the consumer, all while protecting sources and methods. Lorie noted that everyone today should think a bit like a CMO: always question sources and credibility of information. 

A Director-Mandated Language Initiative

In the 2010 in response to a Director initiative to increase language capability for the CIA, Lorie was tasked with implementing a 5-year language initiative in her role as CIA’s Senior Language Authority (SLA). The new strategy included intensive training and maintenance programs, targeting hiring and long‑range planning, expanded use of language technologies, and interagency and academic partnerships. While this was largely successful, Lorie emphasized that language is never “one and done.” There is an ongoing challenge in sustaining language capacity as missions and workforces evolve.

CIA’s New Talent Center

In 2015, the CIA launched a major “modernization” to better address a complex, interconnected world. As part of this initiative, Lorie led a team to design of a new CIA Talent Center, starting from the question of desired outcomes rather than just rearranging organizational charts. A key aspect of this design was a three-part professional development model that emphasized tradecraft, the profession of intelligence, and leadership at all levels. It also placed greater value on lateral or broadening assignments as a key component of career growth.

Key Lessons & Career Skills, for students and early-career professionals

Lorie wrapped up with four key lessons. First, communication, coordination, and clarity are crucial. Communication should be purposeful, and coordination of responsibilities, actions, and information should be done clearly. Second, Intelligence is a team sport. Constant coordination is necessary, valuable, and people notice when they are not kept in the loop. Third, strategy and big-picture thinking are important for you to thrive and grow in your role. Understand the overall mission and priorities, and how your role links to others, while making sure to carve out time for higher‑level thinking and planning. And lastly, fourth, resources include tools, money, and people. Know the tools and technologies available and how budgets and people are managed. When hiring or being hired, making sure both the organization and the candidate are a good fit. 

For students and early-career professionals, particularly those looking for work in the national security field, she offered several tips: 

• Learn a language. The specific language can matter less than demonstrating you can successfully learn and sustain one. 

• Be curious and informed. Follow global events, since nearly everything now has national-security implications. 

• Do your homework on careers. Explore agency websites, read books, and approach sources critically. 

• Focus on growth, not just promotion. Seek broadening roles, side projects, and experiences that diversify your skills, even if they don’t look like a straight vertical climb. 

• Seize opportunities. Say yes to opportunities, but it’s also valid to say no if something truly doesn’t fit your goals or timing. 

• Network intentionally. Ask people for career advice, and always end by asking, “Is there anyone else you recommend I talk to?” to expand your network. 

• Leverage technology (including AI). Stay current and think about how tools like ChatGPT or other platforms can enhance your work. 

• Protect thinking time. Don’t let constant tbelasks and email consume you. Regularly step back to reflect, plan, and creatively solve problems. 

About the speaker: Lorie Roule is a Senior Executive with Transparent Language, Inc. (a language learning technology company) and a former Central Intelligence Agency senior officer with extensive experience in foreign language learning and linguistic services within the Intelligence Community. During her several decades of service with the CIA, she worked on Middle East and counterterrorism issues, during which time she put her own foreign language skills to good use. Ms. Roule also serves on the advisory board of Planet Word Museum in Washington, D.C. and is a member of the language advocacy organization, Global Virginia.