Dynamic Leadership at the National Intelligence Office

Those fortunate enough to listen to a lecture from Wayne A. Stone, ’92, former acting inspector general for the Intelligence Community and now senior executive in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, might confuse him for an academic if they didn’t know any better. A military man turned high-ranking intelligence officer, Stone preaches the importance of education and has the résumé to support this paradigm. “You have to be a life learner,” he said. “That’s what I always tell people. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, but you have to invest in yourself. The best investment you can make in yourself is education.” As a young man growing up in Queens, Stone always had an affinity for the military and armed forces. In particular, he loved G.I. Joe and “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” a popular spyfiction television series that aired on NBC during the mid 1960’s. After graduating high school, he joined ROTC as an undergraduate at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Stone thrived in the Army and began moving up the ranks. To become an Army major, he was required to earn a master’s degree. Stone was familiar with LIU and admired its reputation for experiential education and the hands-on training the University provided through practicing faculty. He earned his Master of Science in counseling at LIU and effused high praise for the ways it has benefitted him in his intelligence career. “It has helped me in my ability to communicate and it helps to be a better leader,” he said. “I think leaders are those who empower others and a counseling degree helps you to do that, giving other people the tools to cope with life.” After 23 years of active service in the Army, he retired at the grade of lieutenant colonel.

Stone has held the role of chief of staff five times in his intelligence career and says his education at LIU also brought him important leadership intangibles in addition to hard skills. “You’re managing money, people, facilities – basically anything that goes wrong, you’re the person who manages it,” he said. “Having that skillset that LIU provides, you are ready.” The well-rounded nature of his education proved to be an ideal fit for Stone’s many jobs in the Intelligence Community (IC), which requires a demanding balance of consistency, organization, discretion and professionalism, among other exceptional character traits. “There is a uniqueness to the intelligence agency and what it takes to get in,” he said. “It’s no easy hurdle. It can take two to three years to get in, and for the right reasons. There’s a saying in the IC that, ‘We get information and provide support from the fox hole to the White House.’” Stone encourages people of all backgrounds to consider working within the Intelligence Community. “Regardless of your degree, there is opportunity for you in the IC," he said. “You’d be amazed at the number of skills we need.”

While much of the nature of his job may be sensitive, Stone is able to pass along the principles he has learned in his remarkable career. He served as a fellow at Harvard University in 2018 and reprised the role again at the start of this year, currently serving as the Recanati-Kaplan Senior Fellow. His colleagues and pupils won’t discover any national secrets, but they can expect to learn a cornucopia of life lessons.

“When you’re truly uncomfortable, that’s when you begin to grow,” he said. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. You’ve just got to push yourself, and I think I’ve done that.”

AWARDS

• Meritorious Presidential Rank Award • National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal • National Intelligence Medallion