The Attributes: 25 Drivers of Optimal Performance

Diviney, a former Navy SEAL, debuts with a straightforward program for understanding and teaching others how to perform well under myriad circumstances. Diviney writes that he observed many highly qualified applicants drop out of SEAL training, and, after studying the qualities of the men who finished the course, realized it wasn’t skills that made some applicants successful, but rather attributes: “Are you highly adaptable with a strong sense of humility but low accountability? You’ll perform differently than someone who’s cunning and disciplined and fears rejection.” Diviney divides his key attributes into five areas—grit, mental acuity, drive, leadership, and teamability. For instance, grit requires courage, perseverance, adaptability, and resilience. For each attribute, he provides case studies and research into how to get the most out of oneself and others. To explain the attributes of mental acuity—situational awareness, compartmentalization, and learnability—he presents the hypothetical scenario of losing a child on a subway and the steps of reducing fear and creating a plan under pressure. Business leaders looking to improve their organizations will want to take a look at Diviney’s guide to identifying and making the most of others’ attributes. (Jan.)