317: Why Attributes Matter More Than Skills with Rich Diviney

Focus on attributes, not skills.

So often, we are easily impressed by what we see on resumes or how someone performed during their last big project. But here’s the truth: skills are just one piece of the puzzle.

If we focus too much on skills, we risk overlooking one of the most important drivers of human performance–attributes.

Attributes play a key role not only in our daily tasks but also in navigating stress, challenges, and uncertainty when plans go awry. 

So, how can you leverage these attributes to improve your own or your team’s performance? Fortunately, today’s guest will help us unpack all there is to know about attributes.

Meet Rich Diviney. Rich is a bestselling author, leadership and human performance expert, and retired Navy SEAL commander. As the officer in charge of training for the elite SEAL Teams, Rich was intimately involved in the highly specialized selection process, which pared down a group of already exceptional candidates to a small cadre of the most elite optimal performers. During this work, he gained insight and passion for writing about the innate qualities we all possess, resulting in his first book, “The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers to Optimal Performance.” which is what we discuss today.

In this episode, Rich explains the differences between attributes and skills, the types of attributes essential to optimal performance, and tips on how you or your team can improve them.

Plus, in the extended episode available to Podcast+ members, Rich reveals the attributes best suited for managerial roles and shares some tips on designing an interview process to assess a candidate’s attributes.

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Conversation Topics

• (00:00) Intro
• (01:58) What are attributes and how are they different from skills?
• (06:02) How to assess an individual’s attributes
• (10:05) An example of why determining someone’s real attributes is important
• (12:29) The different types of attributes
• (17:52) Balancing attributes for peak team performance
• (21:14) Three components to improving an attribute
• (23:56) How managers can help their team members improve an attribute
• (27:35) A great manager Rich has worked for
• (29:52) Keep up with Rich
• (30:47) Final thoughts
• (31:47) [Extended Episode Only] Attributes that are best suited for managerial roles
• (36:36) [Extended Episode Only] Using attributes for effective leadership succession planning
• (38:19) [Extended Episode Only] How to design an interview process to assess a candidate’s attributes

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here 

- Visit my website for more here

- Build your team’s skills here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

Keep up with Rich Diviney

- Follow Rich on Instagram here

- Grab a copy of Rich’s book .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}