Will Cocos

What inspired you to build a career in national security?

My father served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, so I grew up hearing his stories. Based on that I decided I liked the idea of doing something challenging in the service of others. I also loved being part of a team. And winning. I ultimately followed my father to the US Naval Academy where I played rugby, which was probably the only reason I stayed for four years.  Then I followed a bunch of my buddies into the SEAL Teams, which is really about answering the question 'how far are you willing to go?'

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

Building products and seeing them used operationally by customers in the field who truly need them.

What is the best or worst career advice you have received?

The best advice I received came during a Commit Foundation workshop when I was transitioning out of the military: Stop trying to get somewhere. Focus on the job in front of you and be excellent at it.

Who are your mentors?

My mentor is Tom Peddicord. He took me under his wing when I joined the Boston Consulting Group after leaving the SEAL Teams. I had no business experience and had not yet developed the polish that comes with business school. Tom was not easy on me, but that was exactly what I needed.

Tom was—and remains—a superb sales leader. He invested the time to deeply understand what his customers needed, and then stopped at nothing to deliver real results for them. His formula was simple. What set him apart was the extraordinary level to which he applied those principles.

Early in my career, while I was playing rugby at the Naval Academy, I was especially inspired by two people. Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Shea, who was killed in action in Iraq, was one of my coaches. Van Wilson, who died in an accident after BUD/S, was a close friend and teammate. Many of the people I played rugby with would name those same two individuals.

It is tragic that they both left us so early. When I think about what they gave us, two things come to mind. They taught us what it meant to be completely selfless teammates—something I still struggle with. And although I was never under fire with them, they taught us how to remain calm and excel under pressure.

What is your favorite movie, book, TV show, or podcast, and why?

I really enjoyed The Wire, which I watched during a deployment. Lately, I have been unwinding at night with an early Tom Clancy novel.

I am an engineer by training, so I enjoy exploring the intersection of technology and society. I also recently read One Minute to Midnight by Michael Dobbs and The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John Mearsheimer. Both books offer relevant perspectives for thinking about the world today.

What's one thing you would like to change within the Intelligence Community?

There is a strong entrepreneurial spirit in the Intelligence Community, which leads to many impressive efforts to develop and adopt new technologies. That spirit is part of what makes the IC so successful. However, it can also result in a fragmented and suboptimal approach.

I do not see the IC coalescing around clear, effective solutions that can be scaled, evolved, and built upon often enough. I want to see experimentation continue, but we also need to scale what is working.

Describe a skill you've carried throughout your career that has consistently proven valuable.

Probably not a specific skill, but rather two tendencies: remaining curious and taking the initiative to act decisively.