The Push: Leadership Lessons From Surfing

Meg, Pat, Julia, Peter, Tiffany, Jess, David, Roger, Ann, Kent, Carrie, Stephen, Scott, Chris, Kevin, Kurt, Cassie, Marcy, Craig, Stephanie, Tom, Brian, Andrea, Curtis, Nick, Russ, Reece, Cedric, Bill, Ryan, Deena … These are some of the names of people who have made a significant impact on me and inspire what we get to do at Insight Leadership Group. Where I am, what we get to do, and who we get to support is not because of me. I did not do this on my own. I wouldn’t be doing this work without the people who have coached, encouraged, trusted, referred, helped, and pushed me. 

This reminds me of what I recently learned from surfing on our anniversary trip. Three leadership lessons came to life:

1. Without initiative we watch.

2. Without momentum we fall.

3. Without a “push” we miss. 

Principle #1 | Without initiative we watch 

During our 20th anniversary, I finally gained the courage to go surfing. After swimming around Waikiki beach and fending off the sharks, I felt confident to stay safe out there on the board. We were lounging on the beach for the second day under the umbrella and I kept watching people surf. The umbrella was nice, but surfing seemed more exciting. It sounds too simple, but the only way I was going to go surfing was if I was signed up for lessons.  

There are some things in life that simply don’t happen if we don’t take initiative. If you want to take a lead on a project, take initiative to be awesome on your current project. If you want to grow your career, then take initiative to explore your options. 

Some things will not happen and cannot happen if we don’t take a step forward to make them happen. If you find yourself dreaming about what you could do...or...watching others do what you want to do...it might be time to take initiative towards accomplishing what you want to do.

Principle #2 | Without momentum we fall 

My surfing coach showed me how to surf while on the sand. Let’s just say, after proper instruction, I nailed it and my wife was proud. I didn’t even fall. Then we got in the water and started swimming towards the area where the cool kids on surfboards hang out. When we finally arrived, I couldn’t feel my arms, but I could still float. The hotel pools didn’t prepare me to swim a “mile” in the ocean.

I began to practice my new skill of getting up on the board – and fell right away. Apparently, with no momentum, it’s tough to stand on the board. All of a sudden my coach yelled, “START PADDLING!!! , START PADDLING!!!”, so I started paddling on the board as fast as I could. A turtle could have passed me, but I was digging in. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but all of sudden I felt a push, and it was as if I was gliding on the water. Then I stood up on the board and started surfing! The feeling was incredible. Over the next 90 minutes I rode some waves! All it took was a little momentum and a push for the skills we were practicing to be leveraged. 

We are with great leaders every year who have a ridiculous amount of talent, passion and capability. Sometimes the leaders just need a little push to lead with RQ (Relationship Intelligence) and find a little momentum to get to where they need to go. 

It’s kind of like when leadership teams try to make a quick change without getting buy-in from their middle managers who are tasked to champion the change. That’s like trying to surf with no wave. It’s not going to work. The skill of leading change and strategic communication is there, but without taking the time to build momentum the change efforts fail. 

Principle #3 Without a push we miss

Here's the deal. If you took me surfing next week, I don’t believe I would be able to go surf with you. I could rent a board, swim out to sea and paddle ferociously trying to catch a wave. However, I don’t know how to read the water, I don’t know when to paddle. Unless my coach is behind giving me a little push – I’m not gliding on the water. Not yet. I don’t have enough momentum. My coach made it possible for me to accomplish my goal to start surfing. He gave me the push. 

Many of us are where we are because of a “push”. Many of us won’t get to where we need to go without the next “push”. 

You might be a solopreneur, lawyer, CEO, or Sr. VP … but not one person is fully successful on their own. Everyone who has a dose of reality can remember who helped them to get to where they are today. 

Our success has come from the success and push of the people around us. That’s a good thing, especially when we remember that reality.

What’s next? 

1. Say thank you to the people who have given you the “push”. 

2. Invest in your team and be the leader who helps them build the skill and gain the momentum to do something new.

3. If you are ready, reach out to explore if Insight Coaching is the right step for you to receive the “push” you need to lead at the next level or lead successfully where you are.

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Three intentional steps to push yourself towards the next wave of success in your leadership: [ryan@insightlg.com]:

1. Virtual Coffee: Let's chat about your leadership. What do you see when you look at your team?

2. Executive Coaching: Prepare yourself to make the right shifts in approach to lead with effectiveness and drive the results you want to see.

3. Lead with Courage & Conviction: Learn more about our executive leadership experiences that prepare you to leave a legacy worth remembering.