Rich Diviney, Founder of The Attributes, joins the Airmen Helping Airmen Podcast with John A. Farrell to discuss the difference between skills and attributes, why we should focus on attributes when judging performance, and what are the key leadership attributes.

Key facts

Key takeaways

As part of a specialized Navy SEAL Command, Rich was responsible for determining which attributes make successful recruits
Passing the basic SEAL training requires courage, adaptability, perseverance, resilience, information prioritization, and high focus. Regarding specialized training, the distinguishing factor is the predominance of the mental acuity attribute. This includes situation awareness, compartmentation, task switching, and learnability
If you want to become a Navy SEAL, focus on why you want to do it. You also need to be highly physical and mentally prepared
Transitioning from a Navy SEAL to a civilian can be challenging. So ask for help from other people, use transition opportunities, and find resources that will make the transition easier
In his book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance, Rich describes the importance of focusing on attributes to judge performance
To develop attributes, you need self-awareness, self-motivation, and a willingness to put yourself into an environment that tests and teases that attribute. Those are going to be uncomfortable environments because it's asking you to do something you are not naturally good at doing
There is a difference between being in charge and being a leader. You can have a high rank or position, but people may not see you as a leader. Other people decide whether or not you are someone they want to follow
The leadership attributes people look for are empathy, selflessness, authenticity, decisiveness, and accountability

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