The Hidden Blueprint of Leadership: Lessons from a Navy SEAL
Leadership isn’t always about leading. Sometimes it’s about knowing when to follow, adapt, and keep moving forward. Rich Diviney, former Navy SEAL and CEO of The Attributes Inc., explains.
There’s no shortage of leadership advice out there, but how often do you get to learn from someone who has literally been tested under fire?
That’s exactly what we got when Rich Diviney, a former Navy SEAL with over two decades of service and the brain behind The Attributes, joined me for an insightful conversation on leadership, performance, and how to truly assess what drives success.
If you’ve ever wondered what makes SEALs excel, it’s not the skills—they can teach you how to shoot, swim, and skydive. It’s the attributes—the intrinsic qualities that determine how you perform under stress and uncertainty.
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The Attributes: More Than Just Skills
One of the standout moments in our conversation was when Rich laid out the foundation of The Attributes.
He explains that skills are teachable, but attributes are innate qualities that can only be developed, not taught. And in high-stakes environments like the battlefield, these attributes—like grit, mental acuity, and drive—are what separate those who succeed from those who don’t.
In fact, Rich shared a story that perfectly encapsulates this difference:
“A young recruit, eager to become a Navy SEAL, jumps into the pool for a basic swim test. Instead of swimming, he sinks to the bottom and starts walking across. The instructor pulls him out and asks, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ The kid, gasping for breath, replies, ‘I don’t know how to swim.’ The instructor looks at him and says, ‘That’s okay, we can teach you how to swim.’”
This isn’t just a funny anecdote. It’s a powerful reminder that sometimes, the attributes like perseverance and determination matter more than any specific skill. You can teach someone how to swim; you can’t teach them how to persevere when they’re sinking.
Mental Toughness Is Built, Not Born
Everyone loves to talk about how physically demanding Navy SEAL training is—Hell Week, extreme weather, sleep deprivation. But Rich emphasized that it’s really a mental game.
He debunked the myth that only top athletes make it through SEAL training:
“Being an athlete has nothing to do with whether or not you’ll make it. The physical stuff is just the vehicle to get you to the mental stuff. They break you down to zero and ask, ‘Now that you’re below zero, what do you have?’ That’s the real test.”
This struck a chord with me, especially when I think about how we evaluate performance in the corporate world. We often prioritize skills and technical know-how in hiring, but what we should be assessing are the attributes—the perseverance, the ability to handle stress, the grit to push through adversity.
When was the last time a job interview actually tested how someone reacts when they’re mentally at zero?
Leadership Isn’t Just About Leading
Perhaps the most eye-opening concept Rich introduced was Dynamic Subordination—a fluid leadership model where the most capable person steps up at any given moment based on the situation, and then steps back when it’s someone else’s turn to lead.
“Dynamic subordination is how high-performing teams task organize. It’s not about the leader always leading. It’s about the most capable stepping up and everyone else following. The leadership constantly shifts depending on the challenge at hand.”
For someone who’s spent decades in hierarchies, this is revolutionary. How often do we see organizations stick rigidly to a hierarchy, even when it’s clear that someone else is better suited to solve the problem?
Imagine if your workplace operated like this. In the corporate world, too many leaders are focused on preserving their status at the top of the pyramid. But the best leaders are those who know when to step up and when to step back, allowing someone else to take the reins when the situation demands it.
Moving Horizons: How SEALs Manage Stress
When you’re navigating a battlefield—or a chaotic boardroom—stress management is key.
Rich shared an effective strategy for managing stress in high-pressure situations, something he calls Moving Horizons. This is the idea of breaking down overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces.
“In moments of uncertainty or stress, ask yourself, ‘What can I control in this moment?’ Pick something small, move towards it, and block out everything else. Each time you achieve that goal, your brain rewards you with a dopamine hit, and you move to the next task.”
It’s the neurological equivalent of “eating the elephant one bite at a time.” This mindset shift is not only powerful in the heat of combat but also in everyday life, where stress can often overwhelm us.
Whether you’re facing a massive project or dealing with personal challenges, moving horizons can keep you focused and motivated.
What We Can Learn from SEALs About Feedback and Failure
The SEALs operate in an environment where failure isn’t an option—except when it is. Failure isn’t just accepted; it’s expected.
But what happens next is where the real growth occurs. Rich shared a tool called the Two-Minute Rule that has stuck with me ever since:
“If something bad happens, take two minutes to kick the dirt, swear, feel sorry for yourself. After that, get back to work. Same thing goes for success—take two minutes to celebrate, then get back to baseline.”
It’s a practical way to practice resilience and develop the muscle memory for bouncing back from setbacks quickly. This is something we can all apply, whether we’re in the trenches of a big project or dealing with a personal failure.
Key Takeaways
Attributes Over Skills: Focus on what can’t be taught—grit, determination, mental toughness—when building teams.
Dynamic Leadership: The best leaders know when to lead and when to let others take charge.
Stress Management: Break down overwhelming tasks into smaller, achievable goals. Keep moving forward.
Resilience: Use the Two-Minute Rule to quickly recover from both success and failure.
Resources
The Attributes Assessment - Enter REDIFININGWORK15 for a 15% discount