Sep 30, 2020
Rich Diviney lives to discover, inspire, and accelerate the
potential of human beings. As a Retired Navy SEAL Commander, he completed
more than 13 overseas deployments. He also spearheaded the creation
of a directorate that fused physical, mental, and emotional
disciplines. In January 2021, Rich will release his first
book, The Attributes: 25
Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich breaks down how your average teams can
become high-performing teams, the mental strategies we can use to
overcome stressful situations, and why we need to screen for
attributes, not necessarily skill sets. Rich also works with Simon Sinek to help
leaders and organizations create environments where people feel
valued and free to explore their potential.
Key Takeaways
[4:25] When RIch was tasked with
creating resilience among SEAL Teams, he created the “Mind Gym”
concept.
[6:00] Rich believed that,
through resiliency, you could label and reframe PTSD in a new
way.
[10:15] One of the ways we can
take care of ourselves mentally is to slow down and to let our
brains rest. Sleep is the #1 way to recover.
[11:05] If you’re stressed out,
turn off the news. It’s one of the primary sources of stress
because they throw so many unknown variables at you.
[14:25] Rich is not always
striving for peak performance. Instead, he searches for optimal
performance, which he defines as, “How can you do the very best you
can in the moment with what you’ve got.”
[17:25] Our attributes will tell
us how we will perform when things go sideways. The good news is
that we can develop our attributes.
[21:55] Why does someone want to
be in special operations forces? Rich believes that the reason is
actually rooted in narcissism. We all want to be the best. We all
want to prove we are the best.
[24:15] Rich breaks drive down
into five attributes:
- Self-efficacy.
- Discipline.
- Open-mindedness.
- Cunning.
- Narcissism.
[27:15] The smaller the team or
the smaller the organization, Rich doesn’t see the same
“groupthink” traits as he does in larger organizations. He believes
this is due to lack of structure and corporate
refinement.
[32:10] You are not allowed to
designate yourself as a leader. Leadership is a behavior that
others are drawn to. People choose to follow a leader.
[37:55] It is completely
possible to recharge our mental and physical wellbeing during a
stressful situation. It can be through meditation, through a quick
nap, or even a visualization of what makes you happy.
[44:00] In high-performing
teams, Leadership roles and responsibilities will change to
different people based on their expertise or who might be closer to
a situation at the time. Rich has seen that leadership is fluid and
people, including leaders, will shift power roles to the one who is
most capable given the situation.
[44:35] Trust is the key element
to any high-functioning and high-performing team. They lean on each
other.
[45:35] Listener challenge:
Break some of the preconceived constraints and boundaries that have
been built on your current team.
Quotable Quotes
- “Resiliency doesn’t describe what high
performers do. Resiliency by definition is the ability to get
knocked off of baseline and get back to baseline.”
- “One
of the ways we can all take care of ourselves mentally is to
actively find ways to slow ourselves down and turn off the outside
world.”
- “Things that bring you joy. Any time you engage
in an activity that you feel
more full after doing, you’re likely in recovery
mode.”
- “What
defines optimal performance — can you keep on moving and what are
the attributes you bring to the table?”
- “If
teams want to figure out how to manage in uncertainty, they need to
look at attributes vs. just skill.”
- “We
are biologically designed to want to stand out. Narcissism in small
doses, the desire to be special, can be a very, very powerful
driver in performance.”
Resources Mentioned
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