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The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance
Chapter OneHidden DriversYou saved for years for a trip to China and set aside a couple of days for a bus tour through the countryside. The scenery is spectacular, but the only stops are brief ones in remote villages miles from anywhere most tourists would see. In one especially tiny hamlet, the guide says you’ve got twenty minutes to look over a broad valley ribboned with late-afternoon shadows. You slip away from the group and follow a narrow path that winds up a small hill so you can get a better view in solitude. And it’s spectacular. You lose yourself in the moment, and the next moments, too. You look at your You’ve been enjoying that view for half an hour.You sprint down the hill, but it’s too late. The bus is gone, far down a sliver of dirt road so treacherous the driver couldn’t turn around even if he realized you were missing. Your pockets are You left your phone, your cash, and your passport on the bus because you didn’t want to lose them. You look around. There are a half-dozen tiny houses, no vehicles, no power lines. An old woman gives you a curious look. You ask if she can help, but she can’t even understand You don’t speak Chinese and no one in the village speaks English. If you remember the itinerary correctly, the next stop is three hours away. It’ll be dark in two.What do you do?How about this You take the family to New York City to see the sights. It’s the first time the kids have been there, and they love it. You go to the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, and now you’re all going to ride the subway up to the Museum of Natural History. Except you’re on the wrong platform—this train is going downtown. You manage to corral two of the kids, but the five-year-old, too excited to hear you, slips through the crowd and onto the train by himself. The doors close and the train pulls away, then disappears into the tunnel with your child.Now what?One It’s three months into a brand-new year. Things are going well. You’ve stuck to your resolutions, made progress on some long-term goals. Winter is beginning to wane and spring is on the horizon. Then a pandemic erupts across the globe. Seemingly overnight the entire nation shuts down, and the governor orders everyone to stay at home. The kids are out of school, you’re not sure if you still have a job, stores are closing, and there’s no toilet paper or hand sanitizer to be found. You’re not sure how scared you should be because so much is unknown about the You’d probably recover, but what about your aging parents? Worse, you have no idea how long this will last. A few weeks? A few months? Or has everything changed forever?Did you have a plan for that?No, of course you didn’t. Those three scenarios have one thing in Each has plunged you into the depths of uncertainty, into a dark and unfamiliar place where panic rises with every heartbeat or confusion bleeds into fear. You can’t practice for moments like those, can’t learn any skills to navigate those first trembling moments. You pick up languages quickly? Not Chinese before nightfall. You’ve got big-city street smarts? Your five-year-old doesn’t. Were you ready for the economy to grind to a halt, for a new normal of physical isolation? Was anybody?But you still have to act. In such extreme situations, how you perform is much less about what you know than who you are.Your skills aren’t necessarily important.What matters more are your attributes.Attributes are wired into our internal circuitry, always running in the background, dictating how we behave and react and perform. Think of them as the computer code behind an app on your phone. You tap an icon and a program opens, maybe your email or a game or the weather forecast. That’s a visible behavior, an obvious and predictable cause and effect. Tap, open. For most people on most days, that’s enough information to work If I touch this icon, a certain thing will happen, and if I touch this one, a different, yet still certain, thing will happen. Apply a skill and get a result.What most people never consider, though, are the thousands of lines of code—the average iPhone app has fifty thousand—that determine how an app functions. Think of that code as a collection of attributes. Each app has its own unique combination, but there’s usually no need to care about what it might be. If you want directions to the beach, you need to know which icon to tap for the GPS, not how to write code. Your home screen is neatly ordered, the apps are clearly identified, and you know what to expect when you click on any particular one.But those little pictures don’t actually do anything. What you see—the icon that opens the app—doesn’t drive performance. The code, the unseen programming, does that.That code is pretty important.Those attributes matter.People are more complicated than apps, of course. None of us is siloed into a singular function, capable only of texting or posting Instagram stories. But the principle is the We all have an internal coding, a specific combinati...
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First published January 26, 2021
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February 3, 2021
Why this book: I had invited the author Rich Diviney to be a guest speaker on the Mental Performance Working Group that I host to discuss his work on The Attributes. Naturally, I thought it would be good for me to read his book first.
Summary in 3 sentences. Rich Diviney developed the idea of attributes as a means of better selecting candidates for intensive SEAL training, after realizing that assessing for skills was not useful -skills could be taught; he realized that they were actually selecting for attributes which are more innate and determine how a person will react to uncertainty, challenge, and stress. He and his team were looking for attributes that indicate how a person will perform in uncertain, challenging, stressful environments, often with little warning or time to prepare, and perhaps with little previous experience. He discusses each of 25 attributes which he breaks down into five categories: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Leadership and Teamability and offers advice on how a person might develop attributes, as well as how to use attributes to make oneself and one’s organization stronger.
My impression: Really fascinating and well written book. Easy and enjoyable to read, and a fascinating new concept for selecting, assessing, personnel for hiring and for promotion. There is a lot of content – each of 25 attributes gets about7-10 pages which flow quickly and easily as he provides fascinating examples from his and other people’s experience to explain each one. I started losing track of attributes after getting thru the first 10 or so – and felt that each attribute could almost justify a whole discussion; but Rich’s intention was to introduce the concept and get the discussion going.
He discusses the difference between Skills and Attributes:
Skills In short, can be taught, like driving, shooting, accounting, language, climbing etc.
Attributes are more inherent. People have different base-line strengths and weaknesses in their attributes, but with intention a person can develop their attributes. Attributes for Diviney are those qualities that inform a person’s behavior under conditions of Uncertainty, Challenge, and Stress.
He discusses the difference between Peak and Optimal Performance.
Peak performance is the apogee of one’s very best performance, and one can prepare for peak performance, by targeting one’s preparations to perform at one’s best during a specific time window under specific conditions;
Optimal performance means doing the best one can, with whatever one has, whenever called upon, and under whatever conditions may present themselves.
The SEAL Teams and other first responders need to select for those with attributes that support primarily “optimal” performance. Peak performance is more applicable to athletic competitions or other performances under predictable conditions.
Attributes for selection? He described how he and his team working with the selection and assessment team at a SEAL Team, came up with the idea of focusing on attributes. He and his team realized that they were testing candidates under conditions of Uncertainty Challenge and Stress to identify whether a candidate had the baseline attributes adequate to make that person a good candidate for the work they are being selected for, to include capacity to learn the necessary skills. They realized that a candidate’s skills were not nearly as relevant as their attributes They sat down started listing those attributes that they needed.
For The Attributes, he distilled several long lists of attributes down to 25 attributes, which serve as a taxonomy for his book. He broke 22 of those attributes into FIVE broad categories: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Leadership, and Teamability. His book is divided into sections – one for each of these categories, and each section devotes a chapter to describe and explain each attributes within that broad category.
Grit – which includes the attributes of Courage, Perseverance, Adaptability, Resilience – and he does reference Angela Duckworth’s work.
Mental Acuity – which includes the attributes of Situational Awareness, Compartmentalization, Task Switching, Learnability
Drive – which includes the attributes of Self-efficacy, Discipline, Open Mindedness, Cunning, Narcissism (as a positive, vice negative attribute).
Leadership – which includes the attributes of Empathy, Selflessness, Authenticity, Decisiveness, Accountability
Teamability – which includes the attributes of Integrity, Conscientiousness, Humility, and Humor.
Three other 3 attributes which he describes and which he argues don’t fit into any of his 5 categories are: Patience/impatience, Fear/insouciance, Competitiveness/non-competitiveness.
Though inherent in “who we are,” one’s attributes are malleable and can be developed, but not as easy as skills. Attribute development must be self-directed and deliberate and with conscious effort. It takes work. Attributes have to be seen in different contexts to be understood and assessed.
A couple of additional interesting pieces that I found in this book:
Empathy (part of Leadership)- like most attributes, it can’t be developed in a classroom. One can learn “about” it, but it requires deliberate work and effort and intentionality to develop it.
Humor (part of Teamability) is a neurological hack into perseverance and courage. Humor and laughter (jokes) inundate our brains w dopamine and endorphins. All high performing teams he argues, have a “class clown.”
Narcissism -(an attribute of Drive) Though normally a pejorative term, Rich insists that a healthy degree of narcissism is a powerful motivator – it motivates people to work hard, take on new challenges, become the person they are proud of being.
Which are the “real” attributes, or the best list? Rich points out that his list is a distillation of what he and his SEAL team partners came up with for their needs. He insists that each organization look at which attributes are most important for the positions in their organizations. His list may be a good starting point. Empathy for example, will be much more important for a nurse, or child care specialist, than for a computer programer, or an auto mechanic. He encourages organizations to consider those most suited to their organization, and perhaps for different jobs in their organization and to hire more for attributes than skills, which can be taught. Organizations which hire for attributes are playing the “long game.”
The Attributes is an interesting book with a valuable and insightful approach to assessing qualities of people for specific jobs. Though inspired by SEAL team selection and assessment, it is a tool that can be widely used in hiring, and in deciding promotion – by matching a person’s attributes to the requirements of their potential job.
This is an abbreviation of my review. To read my entire review, go to: https://bobsbeenreading.wordpress.com...
Summary in 3 sentences. Rich Diviney developed the idea of attributes as a means of better selecting candidates for intensive SEAL training, after realizing that assessing for skills was not useful -skills could be taught; he realized that they were actually selecting for attributes which are more innate and determine how a person will react to uncertainty, challenge, and stress. He and his team were looking for attributes that indicate how a person will perform in uncertain, challenging, stressful environments, often with little warning or time to prepare, and perhaps with little previous experience. He discusses each of 25 attributes which he breaks down into five categories: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Leadership and Teamability and offers advice on how a person might develop attributes, as well as how to use attributes to make oneself and one’s organization stronger.
My impression: Really fascinating and well written book. Easy and enjoyable to read, and a fascinating new concept for selecting, assessing, personnel for hiring and for promotion. There is a lot of content – each of 25 attributes gets about7-10 pages which flow quickly and easily as he provides fascinating examples from his and other people’s experience to explain each one. I started losing track of attributes after getting thru the first 10 or so – and felt that each attribute could almost justify a whole discussion; but Rich’s intention was to introduce the concept and get the discussion going.
He discusses the difference between Skills and Attributes:
Skills In short, can be taught, like driving, shooting, accounting, language, climbing etc.
Attributes are more inherent. People have different base-line strengths and weaknesses in their attributes, but with intention a person can develop their attributes. Attributes for Diviney are those qualities that inform a person’s behavior under conditions of Uncertainty, Challenge, and Stress.
He discusses the difference between Peak and Optimal Performance.
Peak performance is the apogee of one’s very best performance, and one can prepare for peak performance, by targeting one’s preparations to perform at one’s best during a specific time window under specific conditions;
Optimal performance means doing the best one can, with whatever one has, whenever called upon, and under whatever conditions may present themselves.
The SEAL Teams and other first responders need to select for those with attributes that support primarily “optimal” performance. Peak performance is more applicable to athletic competitions or other performances under predictable conditions.
Attributes for selection? He described how he and his team working with the selection and assessment team at a SEAL Team, came up with the idea of focusing on attributes. He and his team realized that they were testing candidates under conditions of Uncertainty Challenge and Stress to identify whether a candidate had the baseline attributes adequate to make that person a good candidate for the work they are being selected for, to include capacity to learn the necessary skills. They realized that a candidate’s skills were not nearly as relevant as their attributes They sat down started listing those attributes that they needed.
For The Attributes, he distilled several long lists of attributes down to 25 attributes, which serve as a taxonomy for his book. He broke 22 of those attributes into FIVE broad categories: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Leadership, and Teamability. His book is divided into sections – one for each of these categories, and each section devotes a chapter to describe and explain each attributes within that broad category.
Grit – which includes the attributes of Courage, Perseverance, Adaptability, Resilience – and he does reference Angela Duckworth’s work.
Mental Acuity – which includes the attributes of Situational Awareness, Compartmentalization, Task Switching, Learnability
Drive – which includes the attributes of Self-efficacy, Discipline, Open Mindedness, Cunning, Narcissism (as a positive, vice negative attribute).
Leadership – which includes the attributes of Empathy, Selflessness, Authenticity, Decisiveness, Accountability
Teamability – which includes the attributes of Integrity, Conscientiousness, Humility, and Humor.
Three other 3 attributes which he describes and which he argues don’t fit into any of his 5 categories are: Patience/impatience, Fear/insouciance, Competitiveness/non-competitiveness.
Though inherent in “who we are,” one’s attributes are malleable and can be developed, but not as easy as skills. Attribute development must be self-directed and deliberate and with conscious effort. It takes work. Attributes have to be seen in different contexts to be understood and assessed.
A couple of additional interesting pieces that I found in this book:
Empathy (part of Leadership)- like most attributes, it can’t be developed in a classroom. One can learn “about” it, but it requires deliberate work and effort and intentionality to develop it.
Humor (part of Teamability) is a neurological hack into perseverance and courage. Humor and laughter (jokes) inundate our brains w dopamine and endorphins. All high performing teams he argues, have a “class clown.”
Narcissism -(an attribute of Drive) Though normally a pejorative term, Rich insists that a healthy degree of narcissism is a powerful motivator – it motivates people to work hard, take on new challenges, become the person they are proud of being.
Which are the “real” attributes, or the best list? Rich points out that his list is a distillation of what he and his SEAL team partners came up with for their needs. He insists that each organization look at which attributes are most important for the positions in their organizations. His list may be a good starting point. Empathy for example, will be much more important for a nurse, or child care specialist, than for a computer programer, or an auto mechanic. He encourages organizations to consider those most suited to their organization, and perhaps for different jobs in their organization and to hire more for attributes than skills, which can be taught. Organizations which hire for attributes are playing the “long game.”
The Attributes is an interesting book with a valuable and insightful approach to assessing qualities of people for specific jobs. Though inspired by SEAL team selection and assessment, it is a tool that can be widely used in hiring, and in deciding promotion – by matching a person’s attributes to the requirements of their potential job.
This is an abbreviation of my review. To read my entire review, go to: https://bobsbeenreading.wordpress.com...
April 30, 2023
An interesting mental model with a classification of innate personality properties (the list doesn't cover learnable skills), the author finds essential in high-performing. I like the way he breaks things down, e.g., perseverance as a combination of persistence, tenacity & fortitude (with separate definitions and impact specifics for each one of them). In general: neither it's a business book nor it sticks too close to Diviney's SEAL history - the content of the book is quite generic and can be applied in many different fields. I don't find it ground-breaking when it comes to my thinking about what's needed to achieve success, but I strongly believe the mental model presented here is useful if you want to assess your strengths and weak points.
4.0 stars.
4.0 stars.
December 22, 2020
This book is a great tool and story. It taught me so much of what I know about trust. I have always had trust issues and this book makes you understand why and how to over come issues.
It also taught me why some people get going when the going gets tough. Made me tougher when dealing with tough issues in my life, personal and professional. If you care about bettering yourself pick up a copy of this great book today. It will change the way you look at difficult situations and how to deal with them. It will make you a much better person. Find the secret to being a better you.
It also taught me why some people get going when the going gets tough. Made me tougher when dealing with tough issues in my life, personal and professional. If you care about bettering yourself pick up a copy of this great book today. It will change the way you look at difficult situations and how to deal with them. It will make you a much better person. Find the secret to being a better you.
February 21, 2021
An incredible playbook for personal development & self-awareness. I had heard about "The Attributes" from Rich Daviney's appearance on The Rich Roll's podcast and coincidentally was gifted the book a week later. I particularly enjoyed how the findings are backed by science and the pragmatic examples from WWII. The book is centered around 5 attribute categories: Grit, Mental Acuity, Drive, Teamability & leadership. The whole premise is that attributes can be dialed up or down depending on where you are and that self-awareness is the first step on the journey for improvement.
September 29, 2023
A good read read for any interested in hiring new staff or building a team. Attributes, not skill sets, are more what enable a team to adapt when things go sideways. Fortunately, attributes can be developed, but they doing so takes more effort and times. A good sequel would be how to identify the attributes of others.
March 3, 2021
Very, very good book. I did the audiobook and it was very well done. Self-development is one of my favorite genres and I read a lot inside of it. This one was really solid. Where I think this book shines brightest and far outperforms its peer group is for building elite teams. Whether a marriage, a Fortune 500 Company, or an elite SEAL team (of which the author was a part of) this book stands alone. I really appreciated the nuances this book brought to the table that was honed through the development and implementation of key identifiers...attributes if you will, and training the author used in cultivating our Nations toughest and sharper warriors. Overall a great read. Grateful for the authors service to our Nation and the extremely valuable insights gleaned there that he now offers in this excellent book.
July 2, 2025
There's a sharp difference between learned/taught skills that each individual has, and their attributes. Attributes are unlearned, un-taught qualities that each of us have in us already, but they vary from person to person in that you may be higher or lower on the scale for each attribute.
These are the attributes, which fall under these six categories:
Grit
- Courage
- Perseverance
- Adaptability
- Resilience
Mental Acuity
- Situational Awareness
- Compartmentalization
- Task-Switching
- Learnability
Drive
- Self-Efficacy
- Discipline
- Open-mindedness
- Cunning
- Narcissism
Leadership
- Empathy
- Selflessness
- Authenticity
- Decisiveness
- Accountability
Teamability
- Integrity
- Conscientiousness
- Humility
- Humor
"Either/Or"
- Patience (vs Impatience)
- Competitiveness (vs Not Competitiveness)
- Fear of Rejection (vs Insouciance)
The reason the attributes are important is because they are super effective for team building. The author, a retired navy seal, explains that when assembling a team, we had better focus on attributes over skills. You could put together a dream team with the best resumes in the world, but they may still not work very well together. They'll blame other departments, make excuses for themselves, and so on. This is because of attributes. You want to be able to judge how each individual ranks in each attribute, and use that to determine whether they're a good fit for your team and all of their attributes.
If I haven't stated this already, not all attributes work well together, which is precisely why you are higher in some attributes and lower in others. For example, you can't be high in Selflessness and Narcissism, but you can be higher in both Discipline and Perseverance.
Interesting Points:
Speaking of narcissism, I thought it was interesting how they author describes us all as functioning with some degree of narcissism, which fuels our desire to be seen and admired. However, a true narcissist, as the author explains, won't even know that they are one.
I thought author's description of the importance of Humor was also very interesting, as he explains humor as a signal that everything is okay. He describes a situation during the infamous "Hell Week" or BUDS training that wannabe Navy Seals must undergo for their training. While the remaining cadets were freezing in the water, their overseers were taunting them, saying, "we have warm blankets and donuts for you, just ring the bell (quit) and come get some!" to which a fellow cadet shouted, "Do you have chocolate-glazed donuts? Cause if you don't, I'm not quitting." The author describes this event as an example of humor, and it made him feel like he was okay, that's why humor is important on a team.
While attributes can't be learned or taught (because we already possess all of the attributes just to varying degrees), they can be gradually increased in their potency, but it take deliberate, mindful action.
These are the attributes, which fall under these six categories:
Grit
- Courage
- Perseverance
- Adaptability
- Resilience
Mental Acuity
- Situational Awareness
- Compartmentalization
- Task-Switching
- Learnability
Drive
- Self-Efficacy
- Discipline
- Open-mindedness
- Cunning
- Narcissism
Leadership
- Empathy
- Selflessness
- Authenticity
- Decisiveness
- Accountability
Teamability
- Integrity
- Conscientiousness
- Humility
- Humor
"Either/Or"
- Patience (vs Impatience)
- Competitiveness (vs Not Competitiveness)
- Fear of Rejection (vs Insouciance)
The reason the attributes are important is because they are super effective for team building. The author, a retired navy seal, explains that when assembling a team, we had better focus on attributes over skills. You could put together a dream team with the best resumes in the world, but they may still not work very well together. They'll blame other departments, make excuses for themselves, and so on. This is because of attributes. You want to be able to judge how each individual ranks in each attribute, and use that to determine whether they're a good fit for your team and all of their attributes.
If I haven't stated this already, not all attributes work well together, which is precisely why you are higher in some attributes and lower in others. For example, you can't be high in Selflessness and Narcissism, but you can be higher in both Discipline and Perseverance.
Interesting Points:
Speaking of narcissism, I thought it was interesting how they author describes us all as functioning with some degree of narcissism, which fuels our desire to be seen and admired. However, a true narcissist, as the author explains, won't even know that they are one.
I thought author's description of the importance of Humor was also very interesting, as he explains humor as a signal that everything is okay. He describes a situation during the infamous "Hell Week" or BUDS training that wannabe Navy Seals must undergo for their training. While the remaining cadets were freezing in the water, their overseers were taunting them, saying, "we have warm blankets and donuts for you, just ring the bell (quit) and come get some!" to which a fellow cadet shouted, "Do you have chocolate-glazed donuts? Cause if you don't, I'm not quitting." The author describes this event as an example of humor, and it made him feel like he was okay, that's why humor is important on a team.
While attributes can't be learned or taught (because we already possess all of the attributes just to varying degrees), they can be gradually increased in their potency, but it take deliberate, mindful action.
March 13, 2024
Diviney provides a new way of thinking about things that come naturally to a person, and doing anything new in the "self-help" space is, frankly, impressive all on its own.
The distinction between education and training was helpful and not just semantic, and going through different attributes and how they might be innate or learned was similarly helpful. I loved when he ID'ed the attributes (ex. humor) that can only be decided by other people. I love that he differentiated between skills and attributes. I didn't invite myself to think too-too critically here (namely, try to ID what other attributes could be missing), but will certainly be thinking of the ideas posed here more thoroughly.
The distinction between education and training was helpful and not just semantic, and going through different attributes and how they might be innate or learned was similarly helpful. I loved when he ID'ed the attributes (ex. humor) that can only be decided by other people. I love that he differentiated between skills and attributes. I didn't invite myself to think too-too critically here (namely, try to ID what other attributes could be missing), but will certainly be thinking of the ideas posed here more thoroughly.
Read
November 13, 2025This was an interesting read. It started a bit slow for me, but once it picked up, I really appreciated the unique way it helps re-frame how we see ourselves to optimize performance. Good read for work, home, marriage, personal growth, and communicating with others.
October 5, 2022
Our personality is surface level. But our attributes fall well below the surface. Personality can be faked (see every first interview ever), whereas attributes lie deeper, materializing through stress & uncertainty. They are our default wiring & are the difference between hiring someone capable of doing the job & hiring someone who will do the job. This is why The Talent War Group (Divinity is a member) says hire for character, train for skill. Attributes are the building blocks of character.
There are 25 attributes, broken into categories. Here's an example:
Mental Acuity—sharpness of mind—composed of 4 attributes - situational awareness, compartmentalization, task switching & learnability. I, for example, test stupid high in task switching, high in learnability & moderate in situational awareness & task switching (to learn your attributes, take the assessments on the Attributes website/link in comments).
This is a must read for anyone focused on self-awareness, human nature &/or cracking the hiring code.
There are 25 attributes, broken into categories. Here's an example:
Mental Acuity—sharpness of mind—composed of 4 attributes - situational awareness, compartmentalization, task switching & learnability. I, for example, test stupid high in task switching, high in learnability & moderate in situational awareness & task switching (to learn your attributes, take the assessments on the Attributes website/link in comments).
This is a must read for anyone focused on self-awareness, human nature &/or cracking the hiring code.
February 13, 2021
Bought this thinking it would have suggestions which would help deal with stress of self-isolating and masking during this pandemic. There were some insights but I was distracted by the author's self descriptions of personal success. This would be a good book for business people but I'm 77 and not sure it was pertinent for my current life.
August 13, 2021
Last week I finished "The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance" by retired Navy SEAL commander Rich Diviney. In this thought provoking book, Rich argues the difference between Skills and Attributes in humans. Skills can be taught but attributes are more inherent and show up under conditions of uncertainty, challenge and stress. I recommend reading this book for anyone in a leadership position.
He also discusses the difference between Peak and Optimal Performance. Peak performance is the furthest someone can reach under certain conditions for a limited time. One can prepare for peak performance knowing of the right parameters ahead of time. Optimal performance on the other hand, means doing the best one can with whatever one has, whenever called upon and under whatever conditions may present themselves.
People have different base-line strengths and weaknesses in their attributes, but with intention a person can develop their attributes. Here are the 22 attributes he considers important based on his experience dividing them into 5 major categories.
(1) Grit –
* Courage,
* Perseverance
* Adaptability
* Resilience
(2) Mental Acuity –
* Situational Awareness
* Compartmentalization
* Task Switching
* Learnability
(3) Drive –
* Self-efficacy
* Discipline
* Open Mindedness
* Cunning
* Narcissism
(4) Leadership –
* Empathy
* Selflessness
* Authenticity
* Decisiveness
* Accountability
(5) Teamability –
* Integrity
* Conscientiousness
* Humility
* Humor
He also discusses 3 more attributes that doesn't fit into his above 5 major categories - Patience/impatience, Fear/insouciance, Competitiveness/non-competitiveness.
Source: http://www.dragon-bishop.com/2021/08/...
He also discusses the difference between Peak and Optimal Performance. Peak performance is the furthest someone can reach under certain conditions for a limited time. One can prepare for peak performance knowing of the right parameters ahead of time. Optimal performance on the other hand, means doing the best one can with whatever one has, whenever called upon and under whatever conditions may present themselves.
People have different base-line strengths and weaknesses in their attributes, but with intention a person can develop their attributes. Here are the 22 attributes he considers important based on his experience dividing them into 5 major categories.
(1) Grit –
* Courage,
* Perseverance
* Adaptability
* Resilience
(2) Mental Acuity –
* Situational Awareness
* Compartmentalization
* Task Switching
* Learnability
(3) Drive –
* Self-efficacy
* Discipline
* Open Mindedness
* Cunning
* Narcissism
(4) Leadership –
* Empathy
* Selflessness
* Authenticity
* Decisiveness
* Accountability
(5) Teamability –
* Integrity
* Conscientiousness
* Humility
* Humor
He also discusses 3 more attributes that doesn't fit into his above 5 major categories - Patience/impatience, Fear/insouciance, Competitiveness/non-competitiveness.
Source: http://www.dragon-bishop.com/2021/08/...
February 17, 2021
Intelligent, insightful, and thought provoking from a business perspective. Enjoyed the personal stories of author & former Navy Seal, Rich Diviney the most.
Personally, some of the examples are a miss but I have a unique perspective as a former Partner in the Professional Services & Business Process Consulting space. FYI, the customer isn’t always right & “Julie” probably did her team wrong by not engaging her talented players w her client in dialogue to explore whether their request for changes was in fact the best solution. I know from experience that many client requested changes are not the best solutions & sometimes you have to push back at the client.
Furthermore, the examples around fight or flight were interesting but not fitting for me. I have Dysautonomia and chronically high norepinephrine (aka Hyperadrenageric POTS). The problem can’t be overcome by changing my thoughts. However, for most people, the examples are right on.
I enjoyed reading the 25 drivers and the authors fresh perspective.
I’d recommend Mr. Diviney write more about his life as a Navy Seal, I found those stories fascinating.
Giving the book 4 stars because it’s really well written & I can envision it being a recommended read for leadership & their teams.
Personally, some of the examples are a miss but I have a unique perspective as a former Partner in the Professional Services & Business Process Consulting space. FYI, the customer isn’t always right & “Julie” probably did her team wrong by not engaging her talented players w her client in dialogue to explore whether their request for changes was in fact the best solution. I know from experience that many client requested changes are not the best solutions & sometimes you have to push back at the client.
Furthermore, the examples around fight or flight were interesting but not fitting for me. I have Dysautonomia and chronically high norepinephrine (aka Hyperadrenageric POTS). The problem can’t be overcome by changing my thoughts. However, for most people, the examples are right on.
I enjoyed reading the 25 drivers and the authors fresh perspective.
I’d recommend Mr. Diviney write more about his life as a Navy Seal, I found those stories fascinating.
Giving the book 4 stars because it’s really well written & I can envision it being a recommended read for leadership & their teams.
August 5, 2021
Diviney has a really good way of talking about these attributes. There are not any secrets here. His perspective on self-development through understanding these attributes is presented in very simple terms. As with every other book like this, the trick is to implement the applicable-ness of these teachings and suggestions into your own life.
Diviney has military background (surprise!) Seems like many of the authors of these books are the same. Military commanders, wartime heroes, leaders faced with unsurmountable circumstances that find a way to not only rise to the top, but also have the wherewithal after the fact to write about it. Either that or they have all conspired together to just make stuff up and pretend really sincerely that it works.
My problem with these books remains consistent, opportunity and application to my personal situation seems more difficult, as well as not very applicable to what's written.
Great advice. I took lots of notes, and hopefully I find ways to put these suggestions into practice. Maybe I need to stick to sci-fi or fiction? Or maybe just stay away from these self-helpers?
Diviney has military background (surprise!) Seems like many of the authors of these books are the same. Military commanders, wartime heroes, leaders faced with unsurmountable circumstances that find a way to not only rise to the top, but also have the wherewithal after the fact to write about it. Either that or they have all conspired together to just make stuff up and pretend really sincerely that it works.
My problem with these books remains consistent, opportunity and application to my personal situation seems more difficult, as well as not very applicable to what's written.
Great advice. I took lots of notes, and hopefully I find ways to put these suggestions into practice. Maybe I need to stick to sci-fi or fiction? Or maybe just stay away from these self-helpers?
October 20, 2025
The Attributes by Rich Diviney is not just a performance manual it’s a psychological blueprint for unlocking the unseen forces that separate good from exceptional.
Drawing from decades of Navy SEAL experience, Diviney dismantles the myth that success is purely skill-based. Instead, he reveals the 25 intrinsic attributes adaptability, resilience, humility, drive, and even controlled narcissism that define how people respond when the pressure is highest and the playbook fails.
What makes this book stand out isn’t just its military credibility, but its universal insight. Whether you’re a CEO navigating chaos, an athlete chasing consistency, or a parent teaching grit, Diviney gives you a language for understanding the human engine behind elite performance.
Written with clarity, depth, and humility, The Attributes is as relevant in the boardroom as on the battlefield a guide that redefines performance as a reflection of who you are when skill no longer applies.
It’s not about learning new tricks; it’s about revealing the core wiring that makes greatness repeatable.
Drawing from decades of Navy SEAL experience, Diviney dismantles the myth that success is purely skill-based. Instead, he reveals the 25 intrinsic attributes adaptability, resilience, humility, drive, and even controlled narcissism that define how people respond when the pressure is highest and the playbook fails.
What makes this book stand out isn’t just its military credibility, but its universal insight. Whether you’re a CEO navigating chaos, an athlete chasing consistency, or a parent teaching grit, Diviney gives you a language for understanding the human engine behind elite performance.
Written with clarity, depth, and humility, The Attributes is as relevant in the boardroom as on the battlefield a guide that redefines performance as a reflection of who you are when skill no longer applies.
It’s not about learning new tricks; it’s about revealing the core wiring that makes greatness repeatable.
November 30, 2022
Interesting book on performance from a Naval Specil Warfare officer who was tasked at one point to work with the selection process for an NSW Special Missions Unit. They had a selection process where subjective assessments of candidates were made, but they could not quantify why candidates did not pass selection. The author is taking that and trying to identify attribute (largely unchanging) parts of a performer's make up and how it effects performance, ability to apply skills to circumstances, and how to improve Attributes (it is hard and slow). Most human performance books have focused on skills and skill building. This one is unique in grasping the uncomfortable topic of attributes. If you have read Peak, Talent is Overated, Range and other performance books, this is a good addition.
March 8, 2021
Happy to share this new book as today is Launch Day!!
If you’ve consumed a bit of the content here, you have probably learned I am a huge advocate for high-performance practices on a daily basis. This book is a perfect match for that area of interest.
Rich is a retired Navy SEAL commander and has completed more than a dozen overseas deployments. One of the coolest things he has done was lead his small team to create the first-ever “Mind Gym,” which helped special operators train their brains to perform faster, longer, and better in all environments-especially high-stress ones.
In his new book, The Attributes, he highlights 25 hidden drivers of optimal performance including Fall Seven Times and Get Up Eight, Mastering the Pivot, Honor the Class Clown, among many others.
If you’ve consumed a bit of the content here, you have probably learned I am a huge advocate for high-performance practices on a daily basis. This book is a perfect match for that area of interest.
Rich is a retired Navy SEAL commander and has completed more than a dozen overseas deployments. One of the coolest things he has done was lead his small team to create the first-ever “Mind Gym,” which helped special operators train their brains to perform faster, longer, and better in all environments-especially high-stress ones.
In his new book, The Attributes, he highlights 25 hidden drivers of optimal performance including Fall Seven Times and Get Up Eight, Mastering the Pivot, Honor the Class Clown, among many others.
May 21, 2021
After tuning Rich's interview in Lewis Howes' "The School of Greatness" podcast, I came across this book: the entire interview was interesting enough to make me seek a copy of this book. Thankfully, I wasn't wrong.
"The Attributes" easily exposes each of the drivers to the point it's triggering you to mix and match those attributes between themselves and see where do you stand on the scale.
It's not a quick read book as it encourages self-reflection or considering memories and examining your own attitudes towards circumstances, but let me assure you it's definitely worth the time invested.
"The Attributes" easily exposes each of the drivers to the point it's triggering you to mix and match those attributes between themselves and see where do you stand on the scale.
It's not a quick read book as it encourages self-reflection or considering memories and examining your own attitudes towards circumstances, but let me assure you it's definitely worth the time invested.
October 11, 2021
Self Improvement and How to Evaluate People’s Potential
I got interested in the concept of attributes after listening to Rich promote his book on a podcast. Later that week, I attended my 21 year high school reunion and they had honored some alumni displaying those attributes; it wasn’t about celebrating their material success. Our society puts too much emphasis on titles and awards without looking at the entire package of the person. This was definitely a self improvement book on how to become a better person and team member. If you’re a leader, this will also help you evaluate people on their potential.
I got interested in the concept of attributes after listening to Rich promote his book on a podcast. Later that week, I attended my 21 year high school reunion and they had honored some alumni displaying those attributes; it wasn’t about celebrating their material success. Our society puts too much emphasis on titles and awards without looking at the entire package of the person. This was definitely a self improvement book on how to become a better person and team member. If you’re a leader, this will also help you evaluate people on their potential.
February 8, 2022
I liked this book but it seemed more applicable for individuals involved in leadership (hence the 3 stars because it wasn’t for me). The audible version read by the author was enjoyable. Audible isn’t ideal for reviewing parts of books but I did get a copy of the book on kindle while it was on sale. I also have been enjoying podcasts where the author is interviewed. It helps with reinforcing/reviewing some of the topics. The book reminded me of Ryan Holidays Stillness is the Key with chapters dedicated to a specific theme/attribute.
July 25, 2022
One of my favorite leadership and self-development books - which contrary to some books of that genre, is a really easy read thanks to all the stories in the book. I love how Rich Diviney has a whole website (theattributes.com) dedicated to this idea of the attributes where you can take a test to measure your own levels. There are 25 attributes, quite a lot, so I keep picking up the book again to reread some of the chapters. Definitely a very interesting way to examine your behaviors and think about how you can improve yourself.
October 17, 2022
Book lists out 25 practices one can develop more fully but doesn't go into how. I feel that if a person took out the portion where Diviney pushes why these "Attributes" are a real thing, how they could benefit a person, and his personal Seal story, it would leave someone with a few pages of actual valid information. This information would detail what these Attributes were and a few snippets of how to increase some of them but does leave out how to increase most of the others.
I would not read this again and use Seligman's system of "Authentic Happiness" instead.
I would not read this again and use Seligman's system of "Authentic Happiness" instead.
November 11, 2024
I was really disappointed to see that there was no reference section. Otherwise how can the reader know how the author even researched the material in the book? The author most consistently referenced Dr. Andrew Huberman and Simon Sinek, and completely disregarded other leaders in the field. I also thought some of the anecdotes were a little weird or not really related to what they were supposed to illustrate. I suspect a lot of the high ratings are because this was written by a SEAL and many of the anecdotes drew from his experiences.
May 28, 2025
A terrific insight on how attributes are more relevant than skills with respects to overcoming obstacles and working as a team.
I like how it categorized the attributes into 5 different units and then summarized each attribute at the end of each unit. The book also dove heavily into the psychology behind each attribute and would give a tangible example of how that attribute had been exhibited at some point in the author’s life by another person.
Great read for anyone looking to improve themselves or understand working in a team environment.
I like how it categorized the attributes into 5 different units and then summarized each attribute at the end of each unit. The book also dove heavily into the psychology behind each attribute and would give a tangible example of how that attribute had been exhibited at some point in the author’s life by another person.
Great read for anyone looking to improve themselves or understand working in a team environment.
February 13, 2021
Insightful, worthwhile, and thought-provoking
I enjoyed the author's perspective on teamwork and his description of the personal attributes that form the basis for how humans react to stress and uncertainty. He includes good, scientific information about mental processing along with memorable narratives to illustrate concepts. Certainly well worth reading and operationalizing the insights.
I enjoyed the author's perspective on teamwork and his description of the personal attributes that form the basis for how humans react to stress and uncertainty. He includes good, scientific information about mental processing along with memorable narratives to illustrate concepts. Certainly well worth reading and operationalizing the insights.
August 1, 2021
A different look at what makes us who we are.
While this isn't a complete list of possible attributes (can there be a complete list?) the book lists 25 that are key for leaders and those who work together on teams. While it's not aimed at creatives, the book is filled with useful information that can help writers create more complex and believable characters.
A fascinating and worthwhile read.
While this isn't a complete list of possible attributes (can there be a complete list?) the book lists 25 that are key for leaders and those who work together on teams. While it's not aimed at creatives, the book is filled with useful information that can help writers create more complex and believable characters.
A fascinating and worthwhile read.
January 22, 2022
This book was very informative and written in a clear and compelling manner. For me, it was just a bit too skewed in the direction of Corporate / Organization-based success, which was not my primary interest. I do think it was still well worth reading if you have the interest, but I think I got about as much out of listening to the excellent episode featuring the author on the Rich Roll Podcast in 2021. Reading the book did not really add much benefit for me.
January 21, 2023
"A system is never the sum of its parts. It is the product of their interaction." - Russell Ackoff
The author points out the difference between skills (can be taught) and attributes (discovered in challenging and stressful situations).
The book lists 25 key attributes and makes for an interesting read as it's filled with personal stories and relatable examples. Also, had some interesting perspectives on team work.
The author points out the difference between skills (can be taught) and attributes (discovered in challenging and stressful situations).
The book lists 25 key attributes and makes for an interesting read as it's filled with personal stories and relatable examples. Also, had some interesting perspectives on team work.
March 11, 2023
Rich Diviney was in the Navy SEALs, an organisation which knows quite a bit about developing leaders and team work, so seeing his background adds a lot of credibility to this book. He describes what lead to the development of the attributes and the impact they’ve had on selection and development. Bringing it all together in this book provides you with a good reference tool on improving your leadership and your team.
June 8, 2024
The ideas in the book are great, especially towards the end. Perhaps the business world would benefit a lot of paying more attention to the soft skills and core attributes as they are presented in the book.
The book should be a must-read for any [potential] people manager.
While the ideas within the book would qualify for 4.5 stars, the way they are presented with random examples from the author personal experience determined my rating.
The book should be a must-read for any [potential] people manager.
While the ideas within the book would qualify for 4.5 stars, the way they are presented with random examples from the author personal experience determined my rating.
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