The Dive That Changed Me
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Here is a question I have started asking people lately: When was the last time you did something for the first time?
For me, that moment arrived the day I decided to try scuba diving.
I had heard others describe it with awe, but nothing really prepared me for what it felt like to descend into a world so unlike anything I had experienced. You suit up, learn to breathe through a regulator, carry your oxygen on your back, and surrender to an environment where sound disappears and every movement becomes intentional. It is exhilarating, yes, but it is also confronting. It is quiet, vast, and incredibly humbling.
It turns out that this so-called recreational activity also taught me more about leadership than many of the classrooms or boardrooms I have been in.
The ocean has a way of stripping you back to the basics. And in doing so, it offers powerful insights about how we live, how we lead, and how we show up for ourselves and for others.
Here are four deep lessons that I took back with me from the ocean to the workplace. I hope they resonate with you the way they did with me.
1. Live Life in Every Breath
When you are scuba diving, you are completely aware of every single breath you take. Literally. There is no autopilot. The hiss of your inhale, the soft release of your exhale, the bubbles rising above you. It becomes your rhythm, your anchor.
Down there, you are not talking, texting, or toggling between screens. You are simply breathing. And paying attention to the now.
It is both intense and liberating.
One of the most surprising things I experienced after my first dive was the feeling of complete calm. As if someone had gently wiped my mental slate clean. I had not meditated. I had not even tried to relax. But the very act of being fully present, of having nothing to do but breathe and observe, had grounded me in a way that few things ever have.
The leadership insight
How often are we truly present in our daily work? Do we give our full attention in one-on-ones, or are we mentally drafting emails during team meetings? Are we listening to understand, or just waiting to speak?
Being present is one of the most powerful gifts we can offer others. In a world of distraction, presence communicates respect, care, and trust.
As leaders, our presence sets the tone. If we are scattered, reactive, or always rushing, our teams will feel that. If we are calm, grounded, and attentive, they will reflect that too.
This is one of the core discussions we explore in programs like The Leadership Challenge, where leaders reflect on their values and how those translate into daily behaviors.
Try this:
- Before a meeting, pause and take three deep breaths
- Leave your phone out of reach when you are in a conversation
- Make eye contact, nod, and truly listen
- Reflect daily on where your attention was, and where it drifted
The ocean reminded me that life is happening now, not later. And leadership, like diving, starts with showing up fully for each moment.
2. Gratitude and Humility Go a Long Way
On my first open-water dive, I was surrounded by life in all its glorious detail. Tiny schools of fish darting between corals. Sea turtles gliding by like old sages. The colors, the movement, the silence, it was overwhelming in the best possible way.
And yet, what struck me most was not just the beauty, but the scale of it all. The ocean covers more than 70 percent of our planet. Beneath its surface lies a world so vast and intricate, we have barely scratched the surface of understanding it.
There is something deeply humbling about that.
Especially when you consider how we humans quarrel over borders, compete for promotions, and obsess over ego. Down there, none of that matters. You are a guest. A small visitor in a much larger universe.
What leadership needs more of
Gratitude. Humility. The willingness to acknowledge what you do not know, and the curiosity to keep learning.
It reminded me of the leadership concept of “servant leadership,” where the leader’s role is not to command from above, but to support from within. To listen more, to empower others, and to leave the space better than they found it.
Before every dive, instructors gently remind us, “Do not touch the coral.” A careless flick of the fin can damage structures that took hundreds of years to form. That stuck with me.
Because in our workplaces too, careless words or rushed decisions can do damage that takes months, or even years, to repair.
We’ve seen this brought to life in team-based learning experiences that rely on empathy, trust, and care. The leaders who succeed in these formats are rarely the loudest. They are the ones who lift others up and share success freely.
What to practice:
- Acknowledge the contributions of others regularly
- Ask for feedback from junior team members
- Apologise when you misstep, without defensiveness
- Keep learning about your team, your field, and yourself
The ocean does not need our approval. It invites our awe. And awe, I have learned, is the starting point of real leadership.
3. Balance Is More Than a Buzzword
Diving is not about power. It is about control. Small, subtle adjustments in posture, breath, and direction can help you glide effortlessly. Force, on the other hand, throws everything off. You burn oxygen. You drift. You lose connection with your buddy or your bearings.
You learn quickly that balance is not stillness. It is movement with intention.
On land, we often confuse speed with progress. We hurry through meetings, overbook our calendars, and multitask into exhaustion. But in the water, speed without direction can be dangerous.
The workplace parallel
In teams, we need a similar kind of balance. Between urgency and empathy. Between goals and growth. Between speaking up and listening in.
The most successful teams I have worked with strike this balance regularly. They know when to push and when to pause. When to sprint and when to reflect.
Leaders who develop this awareness often benefit from experiential workshops where physical metaphors, such as sailing or obstacle courses, help them see how they show up under pressure and what adjustments lead to better alignment.
A few habits that help:
- Build quiet breaks into your schedule to reset
- Focus on one task at a time, especially during complex work
- Pay attention to your energy, not just your time
- Ask your team what balance looks like for them, and listen with openness
In the ocean, balance helps you move with less effort and more grace. In leadership, it does the same.
4. Go Deeper. Surface Impressions Fade Fast.
One of the most unexpected things I learned while diving is that colors disappear underwater. Literally.
The deeper you go, the more light filters out. Red goes first, then orange, then yellow. After a certain depth, everything turns shades of blue and grey. That is why many experienced divers carry lights to see what the human eye can no longer catch.
That moment felt like a metaphor.
So often in our work, we form quick impressions. We make snap judgments. We rely on surface-level data or assumptions. But when we go deeper by asking better questions, listening longer, and exploring context, we often discover something completely different.
A reminder for everyday leadership
People, like the ocean, have layers. The team member who seems quiet might be full of ideas. The colleague who missed a deadline might be dealing with something personal. The project that looks like a failure might hold a valuable lesson beneath the surface.
Depth requires intention. And intention builds trust.
Ways to go deeper:
- Use coaching-style questions in your one-on-ones
- Take time to learn about team members beyond their roles
- Revisit past decisions and reflect on what you learned
- Use silence as a tool to create space in conversations
The deeper you go, the more you see. That is true underwater. And it is true in life.
Final Reflections: The Ocean and the Office
Scuba diving changed me. Not just because it was new, thrilling, and beautiful. But because it held up a mirror to how I live and how I lead.
It reminded me to breathe, to notice, to slow down, and to look deeper.
Since that first dive, I have returned to the ocean many times. Each time, I return with more questions than answers. And that, I think, is the point. True leadership is not about knowing everything. It is about staying curious. Staying grounded. And staying open.
Whether you have dived before or not, I invite you to consider what your version of the deep blue might be. Where can you slow down? Where can you be more present? What do you need to rediscover about your rhythm, your team’s dynamics, or your vision for the future?
In the quiet world below the waves, I found not just adventure, but awareness.
And that awareness has helped me become a better teammate, a better listener, and a more mindful leader.
Sometimes, you have to go deep to see what truly matters.
