Summary

In this episode, Andy talks with Rich Diviney, a retired Navy SEAL commander, about his book, The Attributes: 25 Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich shares his insights on the difference between attributes and skills, the concept of optimal performance, and how understanding these attributes can help build high-performing teams. They also talk about the importance of dynamic subordination, the relevance of attributes in hiring processes, and how parents can help their children develop these essential traits.

The conversation highlights the need to look beyond resumes and skills when evaluating team members and the value of understanding and developing attributes for individual and team success. If you're looking for an innovative way to better understand and develop yourself and your team, this is a must-listen episode.

Sound Bites

• "In stress, challenge, and uncertainty, when things hit the fan, personality tends to go out the window. We're running on these very raw things called attributes."
• "We train for certainty; we educate for uncertainty."
• "Skills direct our behavior in known and specific environments, but attributes inform our behavior in unknown environments."
• "A high-performing team is one that performs optimally even when things are not going great."
• "Optimal performance means I'm going to do the very best in the moment, whatever the best looks like in that moment."
• "Dynamic subordination means that problems and challenges can come from any angle at any moment. The person who's closest to the problem, the most capable, immediately steps up and takes lead."
• "If someone is unwilling to take criticism, they are unwilling to understand what they're doing wrong. They're unwilling to step back and cede control. That is a dangerous place to be in."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:04 Start Of Interview
• 04:02 Differentiating Skills From Attributes
• 07:20 Developing Attributes In High-Stress Environments
• 07:07 Story Of The Non-Swimmer At SEAL Training
• 08:45 Attributes Vs Character
• 09:33 The Role Of Context And Environment
• 12:19 Senior Leaders Who Get Defensive
• 16:15 The Role Of Narcissism And Optimal Performance
• 19:39 Peak Performance Vs Optimal Performance
• 31:26 Training For Certainty Vs. Educating For Uncertainty
• 33:25 Attributes In Marriage And Parenting
• 38:43 Wrap-Up Of Interview
• 39:07 Andy Comments After The Interview
• 42:02 Outtakes

Learn More

You can learn more about Rich and the attributes at TheAttributes.com.

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Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!

Talent Triangle: Power Skills

 

The following music was used for this episode:

Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Funny by Frank Schroeter License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license