Cookie Settings
December 21, 2022

#02: Rupal Patel | The CIA Toolkit for Life

with Rupal Patel
#02: Rupal Patel | The CIA Toolkit for Life

On this Episode of Unbound Conversations

The intelligence analyst turned entrepreneur founder Rupal Patel joins the show today to share how she made the transition from CIA to CEO. She is the author of ‘From CIA to CEO’.

In this episode, Rupal shares candidly her experiences of her CIA career and working in war zones. Tune in as we also explore some key insights from her new book, practical advice for having difficult conversations, Rupal’s end-of-year reflection exercise – and the importance of family and helping other people.


About the Guest

Rupal Patel
Rupal Patel

Rupal Patel’s high-octane career as a CIA officer turned serial entrepreneur has taken her from military briefing rooms in jungles and war zones to corporate boardrooms and international stages. After a career at the CIA, she earned her MBA from London Business School and started her first award-winning business over ten years ago.

As a sitting CEO, author, strategist, coach and mentor, Rupal helps founders, executives, and next generation change-makers reset their mindset and make the impossible possible. Her new book, ‘From CIA to CEO’, provides a powerful new toolkit for living and leading that reveals how the techniques of the CIA can help anyone find their voice and thrive without conforming to stale stereotypes or dated “best practice”.

Show Notes

  • How Rupal ended up briefing the president and military teams in war zones
  • Why it is important for leaders to embrace that they don’t have all the answers
  • How Leaders can trust in their people and gain trust in a high performing way 
  • Making the transition from a career in the CIA to being the CEO of her own company
  • The importance of making space for end-of–year reflections and zoning in on that one big thing for 2023!

Share

More from Unbound Conversations

#37: Dr. Sarah Sarkis | Curiosity as a Catalyst for Growth

#37: Dr. Sarah Sarkis | Curiosity as a Catalyst for Growth

37
Dr. Sarah Sarkis, a clinical psychologist and high-performance coach, dives into her journey of relentless curiosity and its transformative power.
#36: Chris Voss | Good Things Happen When You Run To Trouble

#36: Chris Voss | Good Things Happen When You Run To Trouble

36
Chris Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator, unpacks high-stakes hostage negotiations and effective communication strategies in life and leadership.
#35: Tim Fletcher | Redefining Connection, Trauma and Healing

#35: Tim Fletcher | Redefining Connection, Trauma and Healing

35
A pioneer in the addictions and mental health treatment profession, Tim Fletcher delves into the journey of trauma, healing and self-discovery.
#34: Amy Edmondson | Creating High-Performance Cultures

#34: Amy Edmondson | Creating High-Performance Cultures

34
Expert leadership scholar Amy Edmondson unpacks psychological safety, the need for belonging, and overcoming imposter syndrome in teams.
#33: Dr David Burkus | How to Build a High-Performing Team

#33: Dr David Burkus | How to Build a High-Performing Team

33
Renowned organisational psychologist Dr David Burkus unpacks how to enhance team performance and create meaningful work environments.
#32: Nuala Walsh | How to Make World Class Decisions

#32: Nuala Walsh | How to Make World Class Decisions

32
In a fast-paced, noisy, and overloaded world, Behavioral Scientist Nuala Walsh explains why we tune out what matters and how we can "tune in" and leverage the insights we need to become more decisive and impactful leaders.
#31: George Kohlrieser | Applying hostage negotiation tactics in leadership

#31: George Kohlrieser | Applying hostage negotiation tactics in leadership

31
Hostage negotiator, clinical psychologist, and leadership expert George Kohlrieser has an unconventional approach to developing high-performing leaders - one that explores the impact of fear, loss, and personal transformation.
#30: Whitney Johnson | Disrupt Yourself

#30: Whitney Johnson | Disrupt Yourself

30
What if achieving mastery was simply a matter of navigating the predictable stages of growth mapped by the S-curve model?
#29: Brian Pennie | Overcoming Trauma, Breaking Barriers & Living Good

#29: Brian Pennie | Overcoming Trauma, Breaking Barriers & Living Good

29
After a near-death experience, Brian Pennie a former heroin addict for 15 years made a decision that transformed his entire existence.
#28: Eímear Noone | Irish Culture, Mindset & Breaking Barriers

#28: Eímear Noone | Irish Culture, Mindset & Breaking Barriers

28
Eímear Noone, an Irish composer and conductor, made history in 2020 by becoming the first woman to conduct at the Oscars.
#27: Sarah McKay | Neuroscience, Managing Tech Consumption & Digital Overload

#27: Sarah McKay | Neuroscience, Managing Tech Consumption & Digital Overload

27
Neuroscientist and science communicator Sarah McKay examines the impact of digital overload on mental health.
#26: Dan “Nitro” Clark | Trauma, Focus & Trusting the Process

#26: Dan “Nitro” Clark | Trauma, Focus & Trusting the Process

26
When former American Gladiator Dan "Nitro" Clark suffered a heart attack, it forced him to confront his reality. It sparked a journey of self-reflection to process past traumas, re-evaluate his purpose, and discover what is truly fulfilling.
#25: Pete Paciorek | Leveraging the Four Pillars of Character for Success

#25: Pete Paciorek | Leveraging the Four Pillars of Character for Success

25
Discover a research-backed model for developing well-rounded champions through intentional character-building.
#24: Gerry Hussey | Choose your Hard

#24: Gerry Hussey | Choose your Hard

24
In today's uncertain times, much feels beyond our control. Yet, how we respond is always our choice.
#23: Chris Johnson | The Neuroscience Behind Your Limitations

#23: Chris Johnson | The Neuroscience Behind Your Limitations

23
Learn how elite performers think and operate, drawing on over a decade of working with US Army Special Operations and top sports teams.
#22: Andy Walshe | Exploring the Edges of Human Potential

#22: Andy Walshe | Exploring the Edges of Human Potential

22
Step into the explorer mindset and go to the edges of human potential with Andy Walshe, a globally recognised leader in elite human performance.
#21: Gerd Leonhard | Humans, Artificial Intelligence & The Future

#21: Gerd Leonhard | Humans, Artificial Intelligence & The Future

21
Often, we think the future is far away, but leading futurist and humanist Gerd Leonhard says the future is already here, and it’s better than we think.
#20: Kieran Read | Life Lessons from the legendary former All Blacks captain

#20: Kieran Read | Life Lessons from the legendary former All Blacks captain

20
Kieran Read, a former Crusaders and All Blacks captain, applies lessons from rugby to leadership coaching.
#19: William Trubridge | A Deep Dive Into Extreme High Performance

#19: William Trubridge | A Deep Dive Into Extreme High Performance

19
William Trubridge, a 7x World Champion freediver who holds 18 world records, takes us on a journey into the world of freediving and high performance. Renowned for his groundbreaking achievements, William shares the mindset required to excel in life.
#18: Owen Eastwood | Belonging & Building the Optimal High Performance Environment

#18: Owen Eastwood | Belonging & Building the Optimal High Performance Environment

18
Performance Coach Owen Eastwood draws on his own Maori ancestry and Whakapapa, a Maori concept that embodies our universal human need to belong and applies it to building high performing teams.
#17: Eric Larsen | Pushing Personal Limits

#17: Eric Larsen | Pushing Personal Limits

17
Eric Larsen is the first and only person to go to the South Pole, North Pole and the top of Everest in one year. In this episode, you’ll hear his motivations, leadership approach, lessons learnt from his cancer diagnosis, and his ‘train hard, travel easy’ philosophy.
#16: Jef van den Hout | Maximising Team Performance Through Flow

#16: Jef van den Hout | Maximising Team Performance Through Flow

16
What does it take to keep a team in a constant state of flow? Jef van den Hout, Founder of Flow Concepts® Group, Team Flow Researcher and Positive Organizational Psychologist unravels climates for optimal collaboration and moments of team flow.
#15: Brian Ferguson | Doing Hard Things in Life

#15: Brian Ferguson | Doing Hard Things in Life

15
Brian Ferguson, the Founder and CEO of Arena Labs and Partner + Co-Founder of Liminal Collective is pioneering the field of High Performance Medicine and human performance, enabling frontline medical teams to achieve mastery in their roles while pushing the boundaries of human potential.
#14: Krishna Thapa | Integrating Ancient Wisdom & Philosophy into Modern Life

#14: Krishna Thapa | Integrating Ancient Wisdom & Philosophy into Modern Life

14
World-leading high-altitude mountaineer & ex-SAS Leader, Krishna Thapa reveals how he applies Buddhism and Eastern philosophy to excel in leadership and overcome dark periods of his life.
#13: Woniya Thibeault | Lessons from the edge of life

#13: Woniya Thibeault | Lessons from the edge of life

13
As the first female contestant to win Alone, an extreme wilderness survival experience, Woniya Thibeault shares her story of pushing beyond perceived human limitations just below the Arctic Circle for a combined 143 days.
#12: Megan Henry | The Power of the Mind

#12: Megan Henry | The Power of the Mind

12
Former USA #1 and soldier Megan Henry details the strategies and tactics on how she overcame a life-threatening diagnosis to make it back to perform on the world's highest stage.
#11: Billy Hedderman | The ‘Never Give Up Guy’

#11: Billy Hedderman | The ‘Never Give Up Guy’

11
Former Irish and Australian Army officer delves into the elite world of special forces that demands excellence and focus while sharing his journey back from paralysis.
#10: Niall Horgan | Embracing the Unknown

#10: Niall Horgan | Embracing the Unknown

10
Gym+Coffee CEO opens up about leaving the world of sports, stepping out of his comfort zone and into the unknown.
#09: Patrick Sweeney | Living With No Limits

#09: Patrick Sweeney | Living With No Limits

9
From living in fear to hearing he may have two weeks left to live, Patrick shares his journey to building resilience, embracing courage and how you can do almost anything when you face your fears.
#08: Dr. Brent Hogarth | Mastering Flow State for Peak Performance

#08: Dr. Brent Hogarth | Mastering Flow State for Peak Performance

8
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Executive Flow Coach Dr. Brent Hogarth is on a mission to help solve the mental health crisis through flow state.
#07: Stephen McDonnell | How to win with a champion’s mindset

#07: Stephen McDonnell | How to win with a champion’s mindset

7
Today’s episode is from Neville O’Donoghue’s BenchCast podcast, where I reflect on my time as a former Cork Hurling Captain and what we can learn from high stake moments.
#06: Ruth Wageman PhD | Creating, Coaching and Leading World Class Teams

#06: Ruth Wageman PhD | Creating, Coaching and Leading World Class Teams

6
Ruth Wageman is among the foremost scholars and practitioners studying and working with leadership teams. She focuses on the conditions that influence superb team performance.
#05: Jordan Harbinger | Using Psychological Tactics to Win in Life

#05: Jordan Harbinger | Using Psychological Tactics to Win in Life

5
Jordan Harbinger, once referred to as “The Larry King of podcasting,” is a Wall Street lawyer turned interview talk-show host, and a communications and social dynamics expert.
#04: Dan Doty | Building Open-hearted Connections

#04: Dan Doty | Building Open-hearted Connections

4
Dan Doty is a father, writer, wilderness guide, somatic meditation teacher, and global leader of the current men's movement. His work brings our wildness and our love out into the open.
#03: Mark Divine | Feeding the Courage Wolf

#03: Mark Divine | Feeding the Courage Wolf

3
Mark Divine is a former Navy SEAL Commander and honour man, entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, philanthropist, and one of the world’s top leadership experts.
#01: Damian Browne | Listening to your Inner Compass

#01: Damian Browne | Listening to your Inner Compass

1
For 25 years today’s guest Damian Browne has pursued his human potential, relentlessly pushing his physical, mental and emotional state to their perceived limits.

Find out More

Coaching

We coach CEOs and leaders 1 to 1, their teams and organisations around the globe.

Resources

Strategies, tools and tips to help you achieve your full potential.

Community

The true strength of Live Unbound is in its people — and that includes you.

Exceptional performance in all areas of life. It starts with a 15-minute connection chat.