A few days ago, I listened to a remarkable interview with Richard Moore, the former chief of MI6 — the British foreign intelligence service, often described as the UK’s equivalent of the CIA.
He had stepped down only weeks earlier, after five years at the center of geopolitics: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rise of China, Iran, counter-terrorism, and a rapidly shifting relationship with Washington.
It would be easy to listen to his interview as a collection of spy stories.
But what stayed with me was something else: a set of insights about leadership, ethics, and how to keep one’s judgment intact in a world that feels increasingly unmoored.
Here are the ideas that struck me the most.
1. We’re living in an “under-managed” world
Moore opened with a blunt assessment:
“In 38 years in the intelligence world, I’ve never seen the international environment this contested or this poorly ordered.”
He described a world full of loose ends —
Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, U.S.–China tensions —
but without the Cold War–style rails that used to keep rivalry within predictable boundaries.
The collapse of diplomatic contact during the pandemic particularly worried him.
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials didn’t meet for years.
From an intelligence perspective, that creates a perfect environment for miscalculation.
His point was simple but powerful:
-
Intelligence services identify risks.
-
Diplomats reduce them through dialogue.
-
When dialogue collapses, risk multiplies.
In other words, geopolitics is no longer “managed” the way it once was.
2. Seeing China as both an opportunity and a threat
Moore’s view of China was far more balanced — and far more realistic — than the usual headline narrative.
He was clear that China engages in activities that threaten British and allied interests.
Espionage, cyber intrusions, influence operations.
Those require a firm response.
But he equally stressed that China is a major power whose rise offers opportunities, and that managing the relationship is more sophisticated than simply choosing hawk or dove.
What struck me was how plainly he put it:
“Beijing respects strength.”
Not bluster, not provocation —
but a steady, principled, consistent posture.
One that defends national interests without rushing toward confrontation or capitulation.
It’s a lesson not only for states, but for leaders:
clarity and consistency matter more than noise.
3. How MI6 used to recruit — and why secrecy shapes a life
Moore’s own entry into MI6 sounded like a scene from a novel, except that he told it with amused honesty.
An Oxford academic tapped him on the shoulder one day and suggested he consider “an alternative field of foreign affairs.” He was twenty, naive, and didn’t quite understand what was being proposed.
At the time, MI6 still relied on informal talent spotting.
It was a narrower world — socially, culturally — and Moore acknowledges how much that has changed.
But the deeper issue he emphasized was this:
joining MI6 means accepting a life of secrecy.
-
Friends and relatives may never know the truth.
-
Your children may grow up thinking you have “a boring desk job.”
-
Recognition is scarce; anonymity is the norm.
Moore put it plainly:
“If you crave public recognition, this is not the profession for you.”
Your satisfaction must come from the mission and from the inner circle of colleagues who share it.
There’s something quietly dignified — and very human — about that.
4. Spycraft is ultimately about human relationships
What surprised me most was how Moore described the essence of intelligence work:
Not gadgets.
Not disguises.
Not plot twists.
But relationships.
Real, intimate, trust-dependent human relationships with the people who take the enormous risk of secretly sharing information.
“They won’t do it unless they look at you and see someone competent and someone with values they can trust.”
He also acknowledged the psychological cost.
Moore’s own grandfather once quit intelligence work because it made him suspicious of everyone.
This is why, he said, MI6 looks for people who:
-
know themselves well
-
have low ego
-
can navigate ethical ambiguity without losing their moral centre
-
can bear responsibility without seeking glory
The more he talked, the more I felt he wasn’t describing spies — he was describing leaders.
5. The ethical line — and the lessons of 9/11
One of the most delicate parts of the interview was whether the UK tolerated U.S. torture practices after 9/11.
Moore was careful:
He acknowledged the U.S. engaged in unacceptable methods — waterboarding, stress positions, sleep deprivation.
He insisted MI6 officers were not complicit and would have been prosecuted if they were.
But he also accepted that the UK should have realized earlier what was happening.
The important takeaway wasn’t the politics — it was the principle:
Ethics aren’t a luxury in national security.
They’re part of operational effectiveness.
If you cross the line, you lose legitimacy, trust, and eventually capability.
It’s a lesson that applies to organizations well beyond government.
6. Ukraine and the “contest of wills”
Moore was unequivocal:
-
Putin has no intention of making a real peace deal now.
-
Ukraine, remarkably, has shown more willingness to compromise than Russia.
-
What is needed is “pressure” — military, economic, diplomatic — to change Putin’s calculus.
Sustaining that pressure requires patience.
And — this was his deeper argument —
it also requires demonstrating to China that the West still has strategic endurance.
In his words,
if we lose the contest of wills in Ukraine, others will draw dangerous lessons.
7. AI, surveillance, and staying “in the game”
One of my favorite segments was his discussion of technology.
The question was whether intelligence work is now more about tech than people.
Moore refused the binary:
“We need both. It’s not one or the other.”
AI helps sift data, spot patterns, and identify potential human sources.
But surveillance technologies — especially those perfected in China — make traditional human intelligence far riskier.
To adapt, MI6 has become more open, not less:
-
collaborating with startups
-
investing through a national security venture fund
-
shortening the distance between secret institutions and civilian innovators
It’s an unexpected inversion of the cliché that intelligence agencies are impenetrable fortresses.
8. “Telling truth to power” — the chief’s real job
When asked what being chief of MI6 truly meant, Moore answered simply:
“To serve the government of the day, within the law, and to provide truth to power — even when it’s not what they want to hear.”
I loved this line.
It captures what many leadership roles secretly require:
-
political neutrality
-
moral courage
-
the discipline to say unwelcome things in unwelcome moments
Power tends to distort information.
A good intelligence chief — like a good advisor, a good manager, or even a good friend — counteracts that distortion.
9. Stepping away — and not worrying about what you can’t change
Moore’s final reflections were surprisingly serene.
He said he didn’t fret about things he couldn’t change.
He trusted his team.
He knew the five-year term was enough.
And now he wants to do other things — including spending more time with his grandson.
No drama.
No theatrics.
Just a man closing a chapter with clarity and composure.
What I took away
Listening to Richard Moore, I realized that the world of intelligence — usually portrayed as glamorous or sinister — is, in reality, a study in:
-
restraint
-
judgment
-
ethics
-
trust
-
and the quiet discipline of doing important work without applause
The real lesson wasn’t about spycraft.
It was about how to work and lead in a disorderly world.
How to stay principled when no one is watching.
How to build trust when secrecy is unavoidable.
How to manage risk without losing balance.
How to remain human under pressure.
It made me think that the most compelling leadership stories don’t come from management books.
They come from places where the stakes are real, the recognition is absent, and the choices are morally complex.
And perhaps that’s why the interview stayed with me. ■
Source:
Former MI6 Chief Richard Moore on China, Putin and Spycraft | The Mishal Husain Show