The Attributes

1. Attributes, Not Just Skills, Drive Optimal Performance

"Talent is developed through both training and education."

Attributes are innate traits that determine how we absorb, process, and respond to the world around us. Unlike skills, which can be taught, attributes are hardwired into our personal circuitry. They inform our behavior and play a crucial role in optimal performance, especially in uncertain and challenging environments.

Key attributes include:

• Courage
• Perseverance
• Adaptability
• Resilience
• Situational Awareness
• Compartmentalization
• Task Switching
• Learnability

Skills vs. Attributes: While skills tell us how to behave in specific situations, attributes inform how we approach and handle those situations. Skills are easily measurable and observable, whereas attributes are more difficult to assess and often operate in the background. Understanding and developing your attributes can lead to improved performance across various contexts.

2. Grit: The Foundation of Resilience and Perseverance

"Grit is not an attribute at all, because it's not one thing. It's the result of several attributes, blended and catalyzed."

Grit is a composite attribute formed by the interplay of courage, perseverance, adaptability, and resilience. It's the ability to carry on and push through, sometimes in tiny increments, no matter how difficult or miserable the challenge.

Components of grit:

• Courage: The ability to manage fear and confront challenges
• Perseverance: Constancy in doing something despite difficulty
• Adaptability: The ability to adjust quickly to changing circumstances
• Resilience: The capacity to rapidly return to baseline after stress or trauma

Developing grit involves cultivating each of these component attributes. Practice facing fears, maintain consistency in your efforts, learn to adjust your approach when needed, and work on bouncing back from setbacks. Remember, grit is not about enduring pain but about maintaining focus and determination in pursuit of your goals.

3. Mental Acuity: Sharpening Your Cognitive Toolkit

"Optimal performance begins in the brain. The mental acuity attributes are the foundation."

Mental acuity encompasses four key attributes that work together to enhance cognitive performance: situational awareness, compartmentalization, task switching, and learnability. These attributes form the foundation for effective information processing and decision-making.

Mental acuity attributes:

• Situational Awareness: The ability to absorb and process meaningful information about your environment
• Compartmentalization: Effectively chunking information and focusing on what needs immediate attention
• Task Switching: The ability to shift focus among tasks or contexts
• Learnability: The capacity to absorb, process, and apply new information

Developing mental acuity involves practicing each of these attributes. Enhance situational awareness by consciously observing your environment. Improve compartmentalization by prioritizing information and focusing on what's most relevant. Practice task switching by challenging yourself to move between different types of activities. Boost learnability by consistently exposing yourself to new information and experiences.

4. Drive: The Inner Fire That Propels Success

"Drive is concerned with longer-term objectives, aspirations that require time and diligence to achieve."

Drive is the behavior of staying focused on and pursuing a goal. It's composed of five main attributes: self-efficacy, discipline, open-mindedness, cunning, and narcissism. These attributes work together to fuel motivation and maintain focus on long-term objectives.

Components of drive:

• Self-efficacy: Belief in one's ability to achieve a goal
• Discipline: The ability to remain focused and steadfast
• Open-mindedness: Willingness to consider new ideas and perspectives
• Cunning: The ability to solve problems from unorthodox angles
• Narcissism: The desire to stand out and be recognized (in moderation)

Cultivating drive involves developing these attributes in balance. Build self-efficacy through small successes and positive self-talk. Enhance discipline through consistent practice and habit formation. Foster open-mindedness by exposing yourself to diverse ideas and experiences. Develop cunning by challenging yourself to find creative solutions. Maintain a healthy level of narcissism by acknowledging your achievements without becoming arrogant.

5. Leadership: Inspiring Others Through Example

"Leaders are identified and defined by those whom they lead. You can't declare yourself to be a leader."

Effective leadership is rooted in five key attributes: empathy, selflessness, authenticity, decisiveness, and accountability. These attributes enable leaders to inspire and influence others, fostering trust and encouraging optimal performance within a team.

Leadership attributes:

• Empathy: The ability to understand and share the feelings of others
• Selflessness: Placing the needs of others above one's own
• Authenticity: Consistency between one's actions and beliefs
• Decisiveness: The ability to make timely and effective decisions
• Accountability: Taking responsibility for one's actions and decisions

Developing leadership qualities involves cultivating these attributes. Practice active listening and perspective-taking to enhance empathy. Demonstrate selflessness by prioritizing team goals over personal gain. Foster authenticity by aligning your actions with your values. Improve decisiveness by gathering information efficiently and trusting your judgment. Embrace accountability by owning your mistakes and learning from them.

6. Teamability: The Secret Sauce of High-Performing Groups

"A high-performing team is defined less by how often it wins than by how well it loses."

Teamability is about how well people work and play together, how deeply they connect, and how effectively they collaborate. It's rooted in four key attributes: integrity, conscientiousness, humility, and humor. These attributes foster trust and cohesion within a team, enabling optimal performance even in challenging situations.

Teamability attributes:

• Integrity: Acting in accordance with moral values and social norms
• Conscientiousness: The inner drive to work hard and be reliable
• Humility: Self-awareness about one's strengths and weaknesses
• Humor: The ability to find and appreciate the funny, even in tough times

Enhancing teamability involves developing these attributes individually and collectively. Foster integrity by consistently aligning your actions with your values. Cultivate conscientiousness through diligence and reliability. Practice humility by acknowledging your limitations and valuing others' contributions. Develop a sense of humor that can lighten the mood and build camaraderie, especially during challenging times.

7. Dynamic Subordination: Fluid Leadership for Optimal Results

"In a high-performance team, leadership shifts to wherever, and whomever, the leader needs to be at any given moment."

Dynamic subordination is a fluid organizational model where leadership shifts based on the immediate needs of the situation. This approach allows teams to respond quickly and effectively to changing circumstances, leveraging the diverse attributes and skills of team members.

Key aspects of dynamic subordination:

• Fluid leadership roles based on situational demands
• Trust among team members
• Diversity of attributes specific to the mission or environment
• Rapid adaptation to changing circumstances

Implementing dynamic subordination requires fostering a culture of trust and mutual respect within the team. Encourage team members to step up when their skills or attributes are most needed. Practice shifting leadership roles in low-stakes situations to build comfort with the approach. Regularly assess and develop the diverse attributes within your team to ensure you have the right mix for your objectives.

Last updated: May 14, 2025