From Communist spy to corporate executive—this isn't fiction. In this episode of Leaders and Their Stories, host Richard Lowe sits down with Jack Barsky, a former KGB deep-cover agent who spent 10 years undercover in America before choosing love over loyalty and quitting the spy game. Drawing on his unique background from East German Communist training to American corporate boardrooms, Jack reveals the surprising leadership lessons that work in both espionage and business.
You'll learn:
Why trust is the #1 ingredient in both spying and leadership
How to read people in under 5 minutes (a survival skill that translates to business)
The secret to managing technical talent and engineers
Why quick decision-making beats endless analysis
How his programming background made him a better manager
The leadership lessons hidden in HBO's Chernobyl series
Why "know yourself" is the foundation of career success
Jack also shares fascinating details about his 5-year KGB training, how he assumed a dead child's identity, why he told the KGB he had HIV to escape, and how the FBI eventually found him 9 years later. Plus: his take on the Ukraine conflict and why nuclear accidents worry him more than intentional launches.
Bonus: The hilarious truth about what James Bond movies get wrong about real espionage (spoiler: everything).
🎯 Ideal for: Leaders, managers, executives, and anyone interested in the psychology of influence, decision-making, and what happens when spy skills meet corporate America.
📞 Connect with Jack Barsky on LinkedIn
Hashtags: #Leadership #CorporateSuccess #SpySecrets #ManagementTips #BusinessStrategy