Former Navy Seal Speaks to Hershey-Area Leaders about High-Performing Teams
More than 300 leaders from Milton Hershey School, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, and Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning gathered in Hershey, Pennsylvania for a joint lesson in mastering the art of high-performing teams.
Leaders from the organizations listened, learned, and conducted table activities facilitated by Rich Diviney, a former Navy SEAL Officer. Diviney spent more than 20 years in the Navy, completed more than 13 deployments, and was a Commanding Officer of a Navy SEAL Command.
Diviney’s message focused on how high-performing teams are masters of uncertainty who not only perform when things are going well but when things aren’t going well. He walked through the difference between skills and attributes, the top attributes of a leader, and how to build and measure trust amongst teams.
“Candor is the ability to tell someone the hard truths, even though it might hurt,” Diviney said. “But, it also can lead to improvement. All trusting relationships are built with candor and care. When you turn off your ego and become service oriented to show people you care about them, it leads to a better, more trusting conversation and a stronger relationship.”
As leaders, this group has the privilege and responsibility to ensure that the legacy of Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine continues for generations to come. MHS President Pete Gurt ’85, concluded the event by encouraging everyone in the room to use Diviney’s lessons to think differently.
“When we take time, like we’ve done today, to learn and immerse ourselves in developing a mindset of extreme ownership, our teams will feel the impact and our organizations will feel the impact,” Gurt said.
Networking and extended learning opportunities like this are just one of the many benefits of working for a Hershey entity partner. When Milton S. Hershey created his town, he wanted his employees and their families to have an attractive place to live, work, and play. In the end, he built much more than a factory, school, and town—he built a community that continues to thrive because of its innovative and engaged leaders.
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