“The #1 secret I learned as a KGB spy?
People don’t follow logic. They follow feelings.”
Millions watched the CBS 60 Minutes special on Jack Barsky in 2015. Now, in this fascinating memoir, the Soviet KGB agent tells his story of gut-wrenching choices, appalling betrayals, his turbulent inner world, and the secret life he lived for years without getting caught.
On October 8, 1978, a Canadian national by the name of William Dyson stepped off a plane at O’Hare International Airport and proceeded toward Customs and Immigration.
Two days later, William Dyson ceased to exist.
Jack Philip Barsky (born Albrecht Dittrich, 18 May 1949) is an author, IT specialist and former agent of the KGB who spied on the United States from 1978 to 1988. Exposed after the Cold War, Barsky became a resource for U.S. counterintelligence agencies and was allowed to remain in the United States. His autobiography, Deep Undercover, was published in 2017, and he frequently speaks on his experiences and as an expert on espionage and the mindset of leadership.
I met him through my security industry contacts. I interviewed him as a possible speaker at The Great Conversation in Security when it was a physical event. (Pre-Covid).
In this Great Conversation we dive deep into the mindset and demeanor of the spy and how the study of the craft informs how we think about trust, alignment of wants and needs, and influence.
I become fascinated with Jack’s assertion that he never wanted to harm anyone. It sounds like business leaders who live in a grey world and make choices that others may one day criticize as selfish or wrong.
It also resonated with me the leverage a person has when they learn to be inquisitive. When they practice “eloquent silence” when asking questions. When they are slow to speak. And slow to make judgements.
If the fundamental purpose of life is to see oneself and others clearly, and from that foundation walk the path in the garden you were placed, practicing the art of the spy (searching for the truth) may be useful. People yearn to know and be known. Are you the one they can trust to help them on their path to value?
We end with a question about legacy, which is a question we all must answer. Jack is in his 70’s now. His life has been interrupted many times by events, people, mistakes, and opportunities. But he has found that there is an incredible lightness of being when you:
Are genuinely curious
You genuinely care
You strive for excellence
And collaborate with others to build things that matter
Jack would call this “love”.
Enjoy this Great Conversation with Jack Barsky. And go to his LinkedIn page to learn more about his speaking, mentoring, and writing.