EP28: PRECISION AGGRESSION with Peak Performance Expert, Author of The Attributes, and Retired Navy Seal
Whether in business, sports, the arts, or almost anywhere in between, the ability to assemble and grow a high- functioning team can be the difference between success and failure. And in some elite teams like the US military’s Special Ops, such can literally be the difference between life and death. Growing up in a pre-internet age with Cold War rhetoric and a steady stream of staples of my youth like GI Joe, the lure and appeal of groups like the Army Rangers and the Navy SEALs made them stuff of legend. They were real-life superheroes surrounded by mystique and trained unlike any others. At the same time, if you were like me and my friends, you didn’t know much about them like how to get in, how they trained, or what they did once they were admitted into their elite ranks.
And you couldn’t just Google it at the time, either.
Early in life, Rich Diviney wanted to fly. The appeal of being a pilot and serving his country was tremendous, and he found himself growing up in Connecticut with a dream to take to the skies. At the same time, Rich was also influenced by James Bond films and the U.S. Special Operations Forces, so the idea to pursue a career as a Navy SEAL took root, eventually leading him to Purdue University where he joined the Navy ROTC program. Upon graduation, Rich was able to complete BUD/S training and serve for over 20 years as a Navy SEAL Officer. During his career he held several leadership positions, to include the officer in charge of training for a specialized SEAL Command – where he focused on defining and refining the ways in which the cadre could successfully identify the candidates who would be best suited to serve in the Navy’s most elite and storied unit. As a result, the Attributes emerged, ultimately leading Rich to write and publish his highly informative and pragmatic book that can help leaders identify the aspects of specific team members that can help improve the way units train and operate.
Listen in as Rich explains his journey from young aspiring pilot to Navy SEAL, from Navy SEAL to military team and leadership expert, and eventually to author, speaker, and influencer in Episode 28: PRECISION AGGRESSION
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Episode Summary
“Former Navy SEAL Rich Diviney Shares Insights on Optimal Performance and Achieving High Goals: An Interview”
SUMMARY
Rich Diviney wanted to join the US Special Operations Forces since he was a child and was inspired by the mystique of these elite teams. He pursued his dream and graduated from Purdue University with a Navy ROTC program. He went on to serve for over 20 years as a Navy SEAL officer and held several leadership positions including Officer in Charge of Training for a specialized SEAL command. Rich wrote a book aimed to help leaders identify the qualities of individuals that can help improve the way units train and operate.
Rich Diviney is an author, former Navy SEAL, and his book The Attributes, 25 Drivers of Optimal Performance, is something our team went through as a short course. Rich’s story is how he came to discover the attributes and we are excited to learn more about him. Rich wanted to be a jet pilot when he was a kid and his favorite book to read was Chuck Yeager’s autobiography. Rich explains his journey from young aspiring pilot to Navy SEAL, from Navy SEAL to military team and leadership expert, and eventually to author, speaker, and influencer. Rich talks about his book The Attributes, 25 Drivers of Optimal Performance and how it is a 6-session, two-month-long course that includes assessments. He believes that it has been transformative for our team and discusses his appreciation for self-help books.
The speaker was intrigued by two things growing up: flying and the early space program. He and his twin brother both wanted to fly, so he decided to join the Navy, before Top Gun even came out. After the first Gulf War, he saw an article in Newsweek magazine about special operations forces, one of them being the SEALs. He decided to go for the SEALs, despite the high attrition rate, and worked there for 21 years. The Seals have been quite popular in the media and the speaker’s story is an interesting one.
Rich was raised in a middle-class family in Connecticut and from a young age was driven to become the best version of himself. He had a great childhood and his dad was an attorney. He was inspired by stories of SEALS and special forces, and the mystique around them, and wanted to prove that he too could be the best of the best. To do so, he went through a rigorous selection process to join the Navy and eventually become a SEAL. During the process, numerous people were cut, showing how difficult it was to make it through. Rich has no idea what made him strive to become the best, but he has achieved it through hard work and dedication.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00:00 Rich Diviney: A Navy SEAL Officer’s Journey to Becoming an Elite Team Leader
0:02:52 Interview with Rich Diviney: From Aspiring Pilot to Navy SEAL and Military Team and Leadership Expert
0:04:58 Heading: How I Decided to Join the Navy SEALs
0:06:08 Heading: Rich Diviney’s Aspirational Journey to Becoming a Navy SEAL
0:07:39 Exploring the Diverse Backgrounds of Special Operations Professionals
0:09:50 Conversation on Becoming a Navy SEAL: Steps from Connecticut to San Diego
0:11:29 Heading: Navy ROTC and SEALs: A Story of Two Brothers
0:13:01 Conversation on Achieving Goals and the Law of Attraction
0:17:02 Exploring the Pathway to Success: A Conversation on Adapting and Flexing to Reach Goals
0:17:57 Interview with Rich Diviney: Navigating Failure and Finding Success
0:22:57 Conversation with Former Navy SEAL on His Journey to Becoming a Pilot and SEAL
0:24:44 Conversation with Former Navy SEAL on Selection Process and Attributes of Elite Performers
0:30:06 Conversation on Performance and Attributes Assessment Tools
0:33:44 Conversation with Retired Navy Officer and Author, Dr. David Smith
0:35:00 Conversation with Retired Navy SEAL on Career Pivot and Writing a Book
0:38:32 Reflection on Writing a Book: An Interview with High Performer
0:40:03 Conversation Summary: Leveraging Skills and Attributes for Success with Rich Jones
0:41:17 Discussion on Transferable Attributes and Mental Health in the Athletic World
0:43:14 “Exploring the Balance Between Mental Health and Resilience in High-Performance Sports”
0:44:43 Heading: Quitting the Mission: How Simone Found Success in Afghanistan
0:46:12 Discussion on Quitting and Mental Health in Gymnastics
0:48:07 Conversation with Rich, Former Navy SEAL, on Pursuing Dreams
0:49:26 Conversation Summary: Exploring Adaptability and Flexibility in Life and Music
0:51:03 Interview with Rich Diviney: Becoming a Master of Uncertainty and Pursuing Meaningful Contributions to Society
0:52:37 Interview with Rich Fernandez: The Attributes and How It Can Help High-Performance Teams
HIGHLIGHTS
I finally get command of my troop, right? And we’re out in Afghanistan and it’s our very first mission. And I was like, cool, this is cool. It seemed like pretty good, it’s pretty simple.
But mental health and resilience are actually combined. They’re the same thing, right? I mean, resilience, and you know, the way I describe resilience in the book is the ability to bounce back, right? It actually, it often gets conflated with perseverance.
And on one side, you’ve got people applauding the mental health side. And on the other side, you’ve got kind of the resilience. And we shared off camera before that I’m reading a David Goggins book.
Oftentimes skills are not transferable, but if you go to these elemental things, these attributes, the attributes that I both came into the teams with and then developed to all of the teams, all are what I lean upon in these new endeavors.
And unfortunately, many of our tools for trying to identify high potentials have been focused on skills rather than attributes. Now, I didn’t mean any harm in my question, and it was well-intended for sure.