Catching a good one at Playa Guiones, Costa Rica during the LeaderSurf program
2020 was unlike any other year I have faced personally or professionally. There was so much uncertainty, so many challenges, yet there was tranquility and beauty along the way. The year was much like the ocean, unpredictable, constantly changing, yet filled with possibilities.
As a surfer I love the ocean, its power, its allure and the way it commands respect. As I navigated 2020 I felt like I was surfing through life. I wiped out quite a few times this year. Professionally there were challenges to my work due to Covid-19. The LeaderSurf leadership development program had been gathering momentum, yet it was put on hold for the entire year. Additionally my other business Groove Management was disrupted. So much of that business is the planning and facilitation of in person meetings. I had to pivot, or bottom turn as a surfer says. Within a month of the early spring lockdowns, I had moved all of my work to virtual. Groove Management ran virtual workshops to help organizations and teams effectively transition to work from home. We held sessions on resilience, we provided webinars on job searching during the pandemic and we launched a series of virtual team building workshops. We did our best to stay out in front of the wave. We innovated, we paddled like hell and we did what we could to help our clients and individuals.
A surfer must do two things at once. Maintain focus on what is right in front of them and keep an eye on the horizon to be prepared for what is to come. I found myself employing my surfing instincts throughout 2020. I was focused on the present and what I could do to make an impact, at the same time I was constantly scanning the horizon for what would come next. It was clear that working virtually was disrupting teamwork and creating new communications challenges in organizations. To address these new challenges Groove Management facilitated workshops and webinars to improve communication and virtual teamwork. We took pride in helping teams to maximize their performance while distanced. As the weather warmed, we encouraged teams to “take it outside”. We ran several outdoor workshops for teams that ranged from conflict management workshops, to strategic planning sessions. We took our executive coaching outside as well. We met coaching clients for walks in parks, at ballfields and even took coaching clients paddle boarding. We spent more time outside working, playing and getting in shape. 2020 was a great year to connect with nature. I logged over 150 miles on my paddle board and saw amazing sunrises and sunsets.
Maintaining a positive mindset was one of the most important things I did in 2020. This might be another lesson that I take from surfing. While surfing is physically challenging, it is also very much a mental game. Choosing when to paddle out, which wave to take and committing to “taking the drop” all require a positive mindset. This idea of having the right attitude is something I focus on with my executive coaching clients. Bob Iger in his book, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company says it best when he says, “no one wants to be led by a pessimist”. Optimism fuels the best leaders and it fuels me to be better each day. A surfer holds hope that the conditions will be better tomorrow and I hold that truth as my approach to life. In September 2020 I led a webinar for the Surfrider Foundation titled, Paddling Through Uncertainty: A surfer’s perspective on vulnerability, resilience and leading through Covid-19. The surfing metaphor was so fitting for the challenges of 2020. In talking to other surfers, I found that they too found the surfing experience to be very helpful as they navigated this challenging year.
2021 will bring more uncertainty, more challenges and more room for optimism. With the vaccine getting distributed widely, we hope to see a return to the new normal. The world of work has been disrupted and I don’t anticipate things going back to the way they were pre-Covid. Work from home or work from anywhere will be part of the new normal. Scanning the horizon like a surfer provides some insights into how things have evolved. I expect less business travel, more virtual collaboration and in person meetings to be much more focused than ever. Experience is one of the best teachers both for surfers and in life. 2020 was a big year of learning for all of us. It brought perspective and a renewed appreciation for the little things in life.
I look forward to the waves, the calm and the fluidity that will exist in 2021. Happy New Year and good vibes to all!