Built for high‑pressure moments, The Stoic Strategist puts a mental command post in your hands. Jason Conley, an intelligence analyst with over 30 years experience, shows you how to:

• Separate signal from noise with rapid SWOT and red‑team exercises
• Map threats and opportunities using Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB)
• Craft an unshakable personal decision framework anchored in Stoic virtues
• Leverage historical examples from ExComm during the Cuban Missile Crisis to Eisenhower’s adaptability at Normandy—for real‑world insight

This isn’t theory. It’s a daily discipline of clarity drills, guided reflections, and strategic tools that prepare you to face uncertainty without hesitation.

Preface

We live in an age of information overload and strategic confusion. Leaders are expected to make sound decisions amid noise, speed, and fear. Individuals are told to stay calm while everything around them demands reaction. The result is a quiet but profound erosion of clarity.

This book was born from a simple but urgent need: the need to think clearly when it matters most.

Drawing from Stoic philosophy, intelligence methodology, and strategic planning, The Stoic Strategist offers more than theory. It offers a discipline, a mindset, a structure of thought that helps you operate under pressure, resist distortion, and act with integrity in a chaotic world.

This is not a book of maxims or academic abstractions. It is a manual for those who intend to face the world as it is without losing who they are.

Whether you are a professional strategist, a decision-maker, or simply a citizen unwilling to be swept along by the current, this book is for you.

You do not need to be fearless.
You do not need to be perfect.
You only need to be prepared to think, see, and act with disciplined clarity.

This is the way of the Stoic Strategist. And it begins now.

About the Author

Jason Conley is a veteran intelligence analyst with over three decades of experience at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. His career has spanned military theaters, government institutions, and private-sector organizations, where he has advised decision-makers under pressure and helped bring clarity to complexity.

Trained in critical thinking, structured analysis, and strategic planning, Jason has long drawn upon Stoic philosophy as both a personal discipline and a professional guide. He does not see ancient virtue and modern complexity as opposites but as partners in the pursuit of composed, principled action.

The Stoic Strategist is the product of that integration: a manual for those who seek to remain steady, perceptive, and grounded in a world that rewards haste and confusion.

Jason writes, teaches, and develops tools for clear thinking and resilient leadership. He lives quietly, reads widely, and works daily to embody the discipline he teaches.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I

Introduction to Part I

Napoleon at Austerlitz

Chapter 1: Stoicism – Philosophy for Strength and Clarity

The Ancient Discipline for Modern Chaos

What Is Stoicism?

The Four Stoic Virtues

Why Stoicism Still Matters

Stoic Hall of Fame

Stoicism and Strategic Thinking

Clarity Drill: Practicing the Dichotomy of Control

Final Reflection

Chapter 2: Intelligence Analysis: Seeing the World As It Is

What Is Intelligence Analysis?

The Analyst’s Creed: Truth Over Ego

The Analytic Cycle

Stoic Virtues and the Analytic Cycle

Intelligence Without Institutions

The Bridge to Strategy

Clarity Drill: Thinking Like an Analyst

Chapter 3: Strategic Thinking: Preparing for What You Can’t Predict

Strategy Is Not a Plan

The Core Elements of Strategic Thinking

Stoicism and Strategic Alignment

The Cost of Poor Strategy

Common Strategic Fallacies

Case Study: The Fragile Victory

The Lesson

Clarity Drill: Applying Strategic Thinking to Your Life

Part II

Introduction to Part II

Apollo 13 and Crisis Response

Chapter 4: Facing Uncertainty

The Fog Is Permanent

Clarity: The First Virtue in Chaos

Method: Challenging Assumptions with Red Teams and SWOT

What is SWOT?

Case Study: The Alarm That Wasn’t

Reflection: Why Uncertainty Is Not the Enemy

Clarity Drill: Conducting a Strategic Pause

Chapter 5: Handling Conflict

The Problem of Conflict

The Virtue of Temperance

Method: Center of Gravity Analysis

Case Study: The Misguided Retaliation

The Lesson

Clarity Drill: Mapping Conflict Strategically

Chapter 6: Managing Power and Influence

Power Is Inevitable—But Not Always Visible

The Virtue of Justice

Method: Stakeholder Mapping and Influence Analysis

Case Study: The Quiet Lever

The Lesson

Clarity Drill: Mapping Your Sphere of Influence

Chapter 7: Responding to Fear and Pressure

Fear Is a Force Multiplier

The Virtue of Courage

Method: Intelligence Preparation for the Battlespace (IPB)

Case Study: The Decision to Speak Up

The Lesson

Clarity Drill: Framing Your Fear

Chapter 8: Overcoming Complexity and Ambiguity

When There Is No Clear Answer

The Virtue of Wisdom

Method: The OODA Loop (Observe–Orient–Decide–Act)

Case Study: The Collapsing Consensus

The Lesson

Clarity Drill: Navigating Complexity with the OODA Loop

Part III

Introduction to Part III

Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat

Chapter 9: Crafting a Personal Decision Framework

Decisions Reveal the Self

Why Frameworks Matter

The Foundations of a Strong Framework

A Sample Framework: The 3-Part Filter

Case Study: A Quiet Boundary

Clarity Drill: Building Your Decision Framework

Chapter 10: The Way Forward – Becoming a Stoic Strategist

This Is Not the End

The Strategic Life

Signs of Strategic Drift

Legacy in Motion

The Real Victory

Final Drill: Building Your Strategic Compass

Closing Note

About the Author