Rich Diviney

From Navy SEAL to performance expert

Rich Diviney developed his understanding of human performance during more than two decades in the US Military. One of the defining chapters of his career came when he served as the officer in charge of selection, assessment and training for a specialized Navy SEAL command.

The selection process was designed to reduce a group of already exceptional candidates to a small cadre of elite performers. Yet Rich noticed something surprising: the candidates who appeared strongest on paper were not always the ones who succeeded. Some possessed all the expected skills and experience but struggled when tested, while others emerged as exceptional performers despite appearing less obvious at first.

That observation led Rich to investigate a fundamental question: if skills alone could not predict success, what could?

What makes someone succeed?

Years of observing people in high-pressure environments helped Rich identify the qualities that distinguished those who consistently performed when circumstances became unpredictable. He came to define these qualities as Attributes.

While skills describe what someone has learned to do, Attributes reveal how someone is likely to behave. They influence how people respond to stress, uncertainty, challenge and change, providing a deeper understanding of potential than experience or technical ability alone.

This distinction became the foundation of Rich's methodology and offers leaders a different way to think about selecting, developing and building teams.

The Attributes behind optimal performance

Rich challenges conventional assumptions about what makes someone a strong performer by examining the underlying characteristics that shape behavior when people are tested.

He explores Attributes connected to optimal performance, from adaptability and cunning to more unexpected characteristics such as narcissism. Rather than categorizing traits as simply positive or negative, Rich demonstrates how their value depends on the person, situation and team.

His approach helps audiences better understand:

• Individual performance: how people naturally respond to pressure, uncertainty and change.
• Leadership: how understanding Attributes can help leaders recognize potential and support different types of performers.
• Team dynamics: how individual characteristics influence collaboration and collective performance.
• Selection and development: why skills and experience alone may not reveal how someone will perform when circumstances become difficult.
• Personal growth: how greater self-awareness can help people understand their own strengths, tendencies and responses.

Although Rich's methodology originated in the Navy SEAL community, these principles extend far beyond military life and can be applied across organizations, teams and individual careers.

Building performance under pressure

Rich's experience within the Navy SEALs also included spearheading the creation of a mental performance directorate focused on optimizing individual and team performance.

The initiative emphasized physical, mental and emotional discipline, helping operators perform faster, longer and more effectively across demanding environments. This work gave Rich a distinctive perspective on what it takes to sustain performance when pressure increases.

For organizations, the lesson is powerful. Building high-performing teams requires more than assembling people with impressive résumés. Leaders need to understand how individuals adapt, make decisions, interact with others and respond when familiar conditions disappear.

By looking beyond skills alone, organizations can develop a more nuanced understanding of their people and create teams better equipped to navigate uncertainty and perform when the stakes are high.

Book Rich Diviney for your event

Combining extraordinary real-world experiences with practical insights, Rich helps audiences understand the Attributes that influence how people perform individually and together. His keynotes are particularly relevant for organizations navigating challenges around leadership, teamwork, resilience, adaptability and high performance.

Rich leaves audiences with a powerful way to rethink potential: knowing what someone can do is only part of the picture. Understanding how they are likely to respond when it matters most can change the way we select, develop and lead people.