Episode 248 Honest Answers with Lena Sisco (Part 1)

John talks with Lena Sisco — former U.S. Naval Intelligence Officer and U.S. Marine Corps Certified Interrogator, CEO and founder of Sector Intelligence Group and The Congruency Group, body language expert, TEDx presenter, international speaker, and entrepreneur. Lena is also the author of “You're Lying: Secrets From an Expert Military Interrogator to Spot the Lies and Get to the Truth”, “Marine Scout Snipers: True Stories From U.S. Marine Corp Snipers”, and “Honest Answers: Interview and Negotiation Skills to Get to the Truth.”

Listen to this episode to learn more:

[00:00] – Intro

[00:57] – Lena’s bio

[03:08] – What is dark psychology?

[04:52] – Red flags to watch out for in online dating profiles

[07:03] – Be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves

[08:39] – Lena’s journey from archaeology to naval intelligence

[11:15] – The value of detail-oriented minds

[15:52] – Lena’s experiences as an interrogator after 9/11

[22:23] – Lena’s approach to interrogation

[25:13] – Why she left the military

[27:15] – Sisco Method of Interviewing

[30:36] – Interrogations during her time at GITMO

[31:39] – A case where she missed an important detail

[33:42] – Being fully commissioned

[35:14] – Leaving the military and transitioning to entrepreneurship

[38:02] – Lena’s businesses

[38:25] – Her journey into writing

[46:51] – Lena’s book: Honest Answers

[49:06] – Understanding personality types in communication

[51:07] – The role of a great leader in creating the next leader

NOTABLE QUOTES:

“Be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves.”

“Details matter. Big ideas and big visions are great, but you’ve got to have people who know how to put them together. That’s where the details come into play.”

“It is so easy to go in, lose your cool, act with disrespect, yell, and squeak. A two-year-old can do that. But show me somebody who has the skill, the emotional intelligence, and the mental agility to use all of our tactics and traits—remain respectful, build that rapport, and let everything coming at you just flow right off of you.”

“The art of effective communication is how you sound. Body language, your tone of voice, and your personality—all of that plays a role.”

“Interrogation is just a conversation and a story. You have a conversation with an intent and an objective. You are communicating with another human being for a purpose.”

“Every possible thing that comes up that can create negative thoughts—you’ve got to get rid of it, work through it, and move past it.”

“When you’re writing nonfiction, you have to keep that person in mind that you’re writing to. But the easiest person to write to is your formerly stuck self, because you know that person intimately.”

“Negotiation starts with a mindset, and that mindset is critical to success and getting what you want because that’s what negotiation is.”

“I can do it when there’s nothing stopping me from doing anything. So why not?”

“If you know someone’s personality preferences, it’s going to make your communication so much more effective.”

“Your role as a leader is to create the next leader.”

USEFUL RESOURCES:

https://www.thecongruencygroup.com/

https://www.sectorintell.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-sisco-8a31b451/ 

https://www.instagram.com/lenasisco11/ 

https://x.com/lenasisco

https://www.facebook.com/lena.sisco

https://www.facebook.com/lenasiscoTCG

https://www.youtube.com/@therealinterrogationroom

"My Secret to Breaking Terrorists: Detecting Deception & Rapport" - TEDx Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9j8iJHSCbY&t=63s 

You're Lying: Secrets From an Expert Military Interrogator to Spot the Lies and Get to the Truth (https://a.co/d/1kQm5eg)

Marine Scout Snipers: True Stories From U.S. Marine Corp Snipers (https://a.co/d/94OrIqW)

Honest Answers: Interview and Negotiation Skills to Get to the Truth (https://a.co/d/9g5VBK5) 

CONNECT WITH JOHN

Website - https://iamjohnhulen.com

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Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/johnhulen    

X - https://x.com/johnhulen    

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhulen    

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLX_NchE8lisC4NL2GciIWA    

EPISODE CREDITS

Intro and Outro music provided by Jeff Scheetz - https://jeffscheetz.com/