The Attributes

Chapter One

Hidden Drivers

You saved for years for a trip to China and set aside a couple of days for a bus tour through the countryside. The scenery is spectacular, but the only stops are brief ones in remote villages miles from anywhere most tourists would see. In one especially tiny hamlet, the guide says you ve got twenty minutes to look over a broad valley ribboned with late-afternoon shadows. You slip away from the group and follow a narrow path that winds up a small hill so you can get a better view in solitude. And it s spectacular. You lose yourself in the moment, and the next moments, too. You look at your watch: You ve been enjoying that view for half an hour.

You sprint down the hill, but it s too late. The bus is gone, far down a sliver of dirt road so treacherous the driver couldn t turn around even if he realized you were missing. Your pockets are empty: You left your phone, your cash, and your passport on the bus because you didn t want to lose them. You look around. There are a half-dozen tiny houses, no vehicles, no power lines. An old woman gives you a curious look. You ask if she can help, but she can t even understand you: You don t speak Chinese and no one in the village speaks English. If you remember the itinerary correctly, the next stop is three hours away. It ll be dark in two.

What do you do?

How about this scenario: You take the family to New York City to see the sights. It s the first time the kids have been there, and they love it. You go to the Statue of Liberty and Times Square, and now you re all going to ride the subway up to the Museum of Natural History. Except you re on the wrong platform this train is going downtown. You manage to corral two of the kids, but the five-year-old, too excited to hear you, slips through the crowd and onto the train by himself. The doors close and the train pulls away, then disappears into the tunnel with your child.

Now what?

One more: It s three months into a

Rich Diviney

So much of what I know about trust I learned from Rich Diviney. I m so glad he wrote The Attributes. It s the go-to reference for anyone looking to improve the quality of trust and performance across their team. Simon Sinek, optimist and New York Times bestselling author of Start with Why and The Infinite Game

If 2020 taught us anything, it s that things can go sideways at any moment. Diviney s incredible book, The Attributes, explains why some people thrive even when things get hard. It s about where grit, mental agility, drive, and leadership come from. Mastering skills on its own doesn t deliver success. Understanding how to cultivate your attributes is the key. Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit

The Attributes is terrific. Diviney has brought world-class experience and deep intelligence to one of the least understood yet crucially important aspects of human performance. If you call yourself a leader, or if you want to call yourself a leader, this book is a must read! Steven Kotler, New York Times bestselling author and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective

What is greatness made of? How do you grow into the best version of yourself? Many have explored these questions, and none have succeeded in answering them as brilliantly as Diviney in this terrific, perspective-shifting book. The Attributes provides a powerful new model for achieving high performance and, even better, a tool kit for reflection, assessment, and continual improvement. If you care about getting better, you need to buy this book. Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code