In this episode of Mr. Non Grata, Bill Alderson — Packetman007 himself — takes listeners inside a high-stakes Pentagon mystery: a 45-second network outage that plagued over 10,000 users for more than a year.

Joined by Kim Mueller, a clinical psychologist, Bill explores the human side of disputed truth — why organizations resist uncomfortable realities, and why truth-tellers so often become persona non grata.

Bill shares:

• The story of being called to the Pentagon after 9/11 to restore communications.
• A later assignment to uncover an elusive, intermittent network failure inside the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
• How technical evidence pointed to an encryption enclave — and why politics, power, and hidden relationships made the truth unwelcome.
• Why “packets never lie” and how network forensics exposes what logs and politics try to hide.

With Kim’s psychological insights, this episode unravels not just the technology of failure, but the psychology of denial. Together, they explore how truth, power, and human frailty collide in high-visibility, high-stakes environments.

If you’ve ever done the right thing and still found yourself sidelined, this story will resonate. You may discover — like many listeners have told Bill — that you too have been Mr. (or Ms.) Non Grata.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Mr. Non Grata, Bill Alderson welcomes psychology expert Kim Mueller to explore one of the most difficult paradoxes in organizational life: why people often resist the very truth that could solve their biggest problems.

Drawing from Bill’s extraordinary experience — including his role in restoring Pentagon communications after 9/11 — this episode dives into a case where a 45-second intermittent outage plagued over 10,000 users at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Despite unlimited resources, the problem went unresolved for more than a year. Why? Because of human dynamics: ego, fear, secrecy, and relationships hidden beneath the surface.

Together, Bill and Kim unpack:

• ⚡ Disputed truth — why leaders and teams sometimes avoid answers they don’t want to hear.
• 🧠 The psychology of denial — from self-preservation to ego defense mechanisms.
• 🕵️ Problem-solver resistance — how outside experts become “Mr. Non Grata” even when they bring critical solutions.
• 🔒 The Pentagon case study — how organizational compartmentalization, secrecy, and personal dynamics delayed a fix for over a year.
• 💡 Leadership lessons — building a “no-fault” culture where truth is welcomed, not hidden.

This episode is a powerful reminder that every technology problem is also a human problem.

If you’ve ever felt unwelcome after fixing something big, or wondered why teams sabotage their own solutions, this conversation will resonate deeply.

Why do the very experts who solve your organization’s biggest problems often end up unwelcome?

Mister Non Grata explores this paradox. Hosted by veteran technologist Bill Alderson, who has spent decades parachuting into high-stakes crises at Fortune 100 companies, the Pentagon, and critical infrastructure, alongside screenwriter and consultant Michael Rogan, the show reveals the human and cultural dynamics that make problem-solvers persona non grata.

Through real-world stories and candid conversations, the podcast uncovers:

• Why teams resist outside experts, even after breakthrough solutions.
• How ego, fear, and misplaced credit can sabotage collaboration.
• What leaders can do to foster no-fault, inclusive problem solving.
• Practical frameworks for building resilient, innovative, and engaged teams.

More than technology, Mister Non Grata is about culture, leadership, and transformation. Bill brings deep technical war stories from his 44-year career in network forensics and incident response; Michael reframes them with narrative clarity and fresh perspective. Together they challenge outdated paradigms and offer new ways to align leadership, teams, and external experts.

If you’ve ever felt the tension of solving a problem but getting resented for it, or you lead teams where egos and fear of exposure block progress, this show will resonate.

👉 Tune in to Mister Non Grata to learn how to turn resistance into collaboration, problems into opportunities, and cultures of blame into cultures of growth.