The Chris Voss Show Podcast – The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence by Frank Figliuzzi

The FBI Way: Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence by Frank Figliuzzi

“A must read for serious leaders at every level.” —General Barry R. McCaffrey (Ret.)

The FBI’s former head of counterintelligence reveals the Bureau’s field-tested playbook for unlocking individual and organizational excellence, illustrated through dramatic stories from his own storied career

Frank Figliuzzi was the “Keeper of the Code,” appointed the FBI’s Chief Inspector by then-Director Robert Mueller. Charged with overseeing sensitive internal inquiries and performance audits, he ensured each employee met the Bureau’s exacting standards. Now, drawing on his distinguished career, Figliuzzi reveals how the Bureau achieves its extraordinary track record of excellence—from the training of new recruits in “The FBI Way” to the Bureau’s rigorous maintenance of its standards up and down the organization.

All good codes of conduct have one common trait: they reflect the core values of an organization. Individuals, companies, schools, teams, or any group seeking to codify their rules to live by must first establish core values. Figliuzzi has condensed the Bureau’s process of preserving and protecting its values into what he calls “The Seven C’s”. If you can adapt the concepts of Code, Conservancy, Clarity, Consequences, Compassion, Credibility, and Consistency, you can instill and preserve your values against all threats, internal and external. This is how the FBI does it.

Figliuzzi’s role in the FBI gave him a unique opportunity to study patterns of conduct among high-achieving, ethical individuals and draw conclusions about why, when and how good people sometimes do bad things. Unafraid to identify FBI execs who erred, he cites them as the exceptions that prove the rule. Part pulse-pounding memoir, part practical playbook for excellence, The FBI Way shows readers how to apply the lessons he’s learned to their own lives: in business, management, and personal development.

About Frank Figliuzzi
Frank Figliuzzi was the FBI’s Assistant Director for Counterintelligence and served 25 years as a Special Agent. In his current role as a respected National Security Analyst, Frank regularly appears on live television for NBC and MSNBC news. Frank held senior FBI leadership positions in major American cities and was appointed the FBI’s Chief Inspector by then Director Robert Mueller to oversee sensitive internal inquiries, shooting reviews, and performance audits. Following his FBI career, Frank became a corporate security executive for a Fortune 10 company and led global Investigations, Insider Threat, Workplace Violence Prevention, and Special Event security for 300,000 employees in 180 countries.

As the Bureau’s head of Counterintelligence, Mr. Figliuzzi directed all espionage investigations across the U.S. government. Frank frequently briefed the White House, Congress, and the Attorney General. During Frank’s FBI career, he led the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office, was the second ranking official in the FBI’s Miami Division, ran squads in San Francisco, and worked investigations in Atlanta. Mr. Figliuzzi directed an FBI internal disciplinary unit in the Office of Professional Responsibility and adjudicated allegations of serious misconduct against FBI personnel.

Frank is most noted for his clear and compelling television commentary regarding the Special Counsel investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential campaign. His FBI career highlights include: Leading the FBI’s efforts to counter economic espionage in Silicon Valley, California; Overseeing major financial crimes and public corruption investigations in Miami, Florida, and Cleveland, Ohio; Serving as on-scene commander of the largest HAZMAT evidence recovery effort in FBI history at the Boca Raton, Florida, site of the nation’s first anthrax murder; and, Publicly explaining the FBI’s successful operation against ten Russian sleeper agents inside the United States.

Mr. Figliuzzi earned a Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from Fairfield University. Frank completed certificate programs at the Harvard University National Security Program for Senior Executives in Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and at Northwestern University’s executive course on Leading Strategic Change at the Kellogg School of Management. He is a sought-after speaker, panelist and instructor on violence prevention, risk management, and the external and internal threats facing the United States.