Guest: Rich Diviney | Book: Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team
What if uncertainty could become your greatest ally instead of your greatest fear?
That’s the challenge retired Navy SEAL commander and bestselling author Rich Diviney puts before us in his new book Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team. I had the privilege of speaking with Rich on my Working on Purpose show, and what I learned from him is both practical and transformative.
Uncertainty isn’t a disruption in our lives and work. It’s the constant. Yet most of us treat it as something to avoid or control. Rich shows that mastering uncertainty isn’t about bravado. It’s about trainable habits and a culture where the right person leads at the right time.
Six Steps to Mastering Uncertainty
Rich’s Mastering Uncertainty Method rests on six elements: three innate abilities we all share and three unique elements of who we are. Together, they help us perform under pressure with clarity, persistence, and confidence.
Move Horizons. Fear arises when the brain lacks clarity on Duration, Pathway, and Outcome. Rich teaches us to “move horizons” by shrinking focus to what we can control right now. During brutal SEAL training in the surf zone, sometimes his horizon was simply “count five waves.” That small win gave him the energy to keep going.
Keep Going. Motivation lives in dopamine. Too big a goal and you burn out; too small and you don’t care. Rich explains the value of “meaningful horizons” — challenges just beyond comfort. In training, sometimes the only horizon was “make it to the next meal.” For teams, shared horizons generate even stronger momentum.
Stay Cool. Stress isn’t the enemy; it’s energy you can regulate. Rich reframes anxiety as “fiction” — always about the future. Two simple tools help: panoramic vision (soften your gaze to counter tunnel vision) and the physiological sigh (double inhale, long exhale). Both restore clarity when pressure rises.
Attributes. Attributes are deeper than skills — ingrained tendencies like adaptability, patience, or resilience that surface under pressure. Rich uses the car metaphor: some people are Jeeps, others Ferraris. Neither is better, but each thrives in different conditions. Trouble comes when you put the wrong vehicle on the wrong track.
Identities. Two words shape behavior more than any others: “I am.” Under stress, whichever identity we prioritize takes over. Rich notes the difference between a sports fan who lashes out violently (identity hijack) and a leader who chooses to enter a tense meeting as a mentor or parent.
Objectives. Purpose inspires, but it’s too vague to guide you in chaos. Objectives make it tangible. Rich’s purpose was to serve his country; his objective was to become a Navy SEAL. That specificity allowed him to set horizons and measure progress.
Dynamic Subordination: The Leadership Edge
Rich’s most powerful lesson for organizations is what he calls dynamic subordination.
- Whoever has the most relevant skills and proximity to the problem leads.
- Others fully support.
- Leadership shifts as conditions change.
Rigid hierarchies slow communication and burn out leaders. Dynamic subordination flips that by creating agility and trust. For it to work, four conditions must be in place:
- Trust — modeled first by leaders, built on competence, consistency, character, and compassion.
- Communication — abundant and purposeful, not siloed.
- Vulnerability — strengths and weaknesses visible so the right person can step up.
- Practice — low-risk opportunities for teams to rehearse stepping up and stepping back.
The result: a team that always puts its best foot forward, no matter what chaos arrives.
Why This Matters
We live in a world where uncertainty is accelerating — in markets, organizations, and our personal lives. What Rich reminds us is that mastering uncertainty is both possible and essential. You already have the wiring. What you may lack is a method and a culture that bring it to life.
And since we’re talking about mastering uncertainty, I don’t want to miss the chance to remind you: this is exactly what we help leaders and organizations do through the Gusto Now Academy. We equip leaders with the frameworks, practices, and coaching to build what we call Destination Workplaces — cultures where people thrive, leaders inspire, and organizations perform at their best, even in turbulent times.
If Rich’s insights sparked something in you, consider this your invitation: what would be possible if you and your team learned to master uncertainty together?
Your Call to Action
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