During his twenty years as a Navy officer and SEAL, Rich Diviney was intimately involved in a specialized SEAL selection process, which whittled a group of hundreds of extraordinary candidates down to a handful of the most elite performers. Diviney was often surprised by which candidates washed out and which succeeded. Someone could have all the right skills and still fail, while others he might have initially dismissed would prove to be top performers. It is similarly hard to predict success in the real world. Dark horse companies pull away from the pack, while dream teams flush with talent and capital go under. Diviney saw that beneath obvious skills are hidden drivers of performance, surprising core attributes--including cunning, adaptability, even narcissism--that suggest how resilient or perseverant we are, how situationally aware and how conscientious. Diviney defines the core attributes in fresh and practical ways and shares stories from the military, business, sports, relationships, and even parenting to show how understanding your own attributes and those of the people around you can create optimal performance in all areas of your life. -- Adapted from publisher description.

Includes index.

Hidden drivers -- Surviving a parachute malfunction -- The Dream Team paradox -- Beware the fearless leader (courage) -- Fall seven times and get up eight (perseverance) -- Be like the frog (adaptability) --The benefits of little tragedies (resilience) -- The art of vigilance (situational awareness) -- Wired for efficiency (compartmentalization) -- The multitasking myth (task switching) -- Forged in plastic (learnability) -- Mastering the pivot (self-efficacy) -- The self-disciplined loser (discipline) -- A fish is the last to discover water (open-mindedness) -- The princess and the dragon (cunning) -- It's all about me (narcissism) -- No one cares how you feel (empathy) -- If it doesn't hurt, you're doing it wrong (selflessness) -- You can't hide you (authenticity) -- Many a false step is made by standing still (decisiveness) -- Don't be a mediator (accountability) -- The subjectivity of right and wrong (integrity) -- There's always something to do (conscientiousness) -- Play black, not red (humility) -- Honor the class clown (humor) -- Dynamic subordination -- The others -- Decoding your palette -- Go perform optimally.