Welcome to another week with Boundless! 🌊 This week, we’re taking a deep dive into how surfing can teach us about leadership—how to find balance, ride the wave, and keep your team moving forward. We’re also spotlighting two key skills to help you lead more effectively:

• 🌊 Riding the Wave: What Surfing Teaches Us About Leadership – Master balance, presence, and flow.
• 🎯 Soft Skill of the Week: Be Interested, Not Interesting – Build trust and uncover real insights by focusing on others.
• 💡 Leadership Challenge: Find your next wave and learn to ride it – Practical ways to apply these ideas to your work this week.

Riding the Wave: What Surfing Teaches Us About Leadership

One look at the tournament schedule of the World Surf League (WSL) and you’ll see that the season is heating up. I’ve never surfed myself, but I’ve watched countless competitions—both in person and on TV. There’s something about surfing that’s captivating: it looks so hard, yet the pros make it look effortless.

I remember once in Huntington Beach, watching some of the best surfers cut through the waves. What stood out to me wasn’t just the flashy moves—it was how they took their time finding their wave. They worked around others, and sometimes someone else grabbed the wave they wanted. But another would come along. They didn’t fight the ocean. They read it. They trusted that the right wave would come, and when it did—they owned it.

What they got out of it was what they put in. Not just in that moment, but in the hours, days, and years leading up to it.

And that’s exactly what leadership is like.

Here’s what surfing can teach us about the art of leadership:

✅ Presence is everything.​
When you’re surfing, you can’t be checking your phone or thinking about your to-do list. You’re in the moment—reading the wave, adjusting your stance, and trusting your instincts. As a leader, your team deserves that same kind of presence. Whether it’s a tough meeting or a small coaching moment, your full attention creates trust and momentum.

✅ Every wave is different.​
No two waves are the same—just like no two projects, no two team members, and no two decisions are ever identical. Great leaders adapt to the unique conditions of the moment. They stay nimble, reading what’s in front of them instead of sticking to a rigid playbook.

✅ It’s all about balance.​
Surfers find the sweet spot between too much force and not enough. Leaders do the same: balancing ambition with patience, decisiveness with listening, and execution with rest. When you find that balance, your team performs better, and you build a culture that can go the distance.

✅ You won’t catch every wave.​
Sometimes the wave doesn’t break the way you hoped—or you just wipe out. That’s not failure—it’s learning. The best leaders don’t get stuck on the last wave. They get back on their board, adjust, and paddle back out.

✅ The more you practice, the better you see.​
The best surfers aren’t just skilled—they’re patient observers. They know how to spot the wave that’s worth it. For leaders, it’s the same: with experience, you learn to see which opportunities are worth chasing, which ones to let pass, and how to trust your judgment even in choppy waters.

Your Leadership Challenge This Week:

🌊 Where in your work can you be more present?
🌊 What “wave” is your team riding right now—and how can you help them make the most of it?
🌊 Where have you wiped out recently—and what lesson can you take with you as you paddle for the next opportunity?

Just like a surfer learns to read the ocean, you can learn to read the energy of your team, the flow of your projects, and the opportunities that will take you further. Don’t cling to the wave—ride it with presence and purpose, then paddle out for the next one.

👉 Log into Boundless and share:​
What wave are you riding this week? What’s the next big wave you’re paddling for? Let’s keep learning and growing together.

Soft Skill of the Week: Be Interested, Not Interesting

In a world where everyone wants to stand out, the real secret to building trust and influence as a leader isn’t always about making yourself the center of attention. It’s about turning the spotlight outward—on your team, your colleagues, and the people you serve.

Be Interested, Not Interesting.​
This simple shift can transform how you show up in every interaction.

I’ll never forget one of my first leadership roles when I walked into a meeting determined to “wow” everyone with my ideas. I spent so much time talking that day—explaining what I knew, how I’d tackle the challenge, and why my perspective was right. But at the end of the meeting, I realized I hadn’t really learned anything new from the team. I was so focused on being interesting that I missed what they were actually experiencing. It took a quiet chat with a mentor later—who said, “You’re not here to be impressive, you’re here to be useful”—for me to see that listening and asking good questions would do far more than any clever insight of mine ever could.

Why It Matters for Leaders

✅ Listening Builds Trust​
When you’re genuinely interested in what others are saying, people feel heard. This creates psychological safety—a foundation for great teams and better decision-making.

✅ It’s How You Learn​
You can’t learn anything if you’re always talking. Curiosity is how you spot problems, find opportunities, and discover what really matters to your team.

✅ It Shows Respect​
Asking questions and listening deeply sends a powerful message: “I value your perspective.” That respect is often the difference between a good leader and a great one.

✅ It Uncovers What’s Unsaid​
When you stop trying to prove how smart or capable you are, you give others room to share the things they’re hesitant to say. That’s where real insight lives.

How to Practice It This Week

1. Pause before you respond. Give others the chance to finish their thoughts—sometimes, the gold is in what they say last.
2. Ask genuine questions. Not just polite check-ins, but real curiosity: “What’s on your mind?” or “What’s been challenging about this for you?”
3. Listen for what’s not being said. Pay attention to tone, body language, and silence. These can reveal what words often miss.
4. Resist the urge to pivot back to you. In meetings and conversations, hold back from turning the focus to your own experiences. Let them be the expert in the moment.

Reflection for the Week

When was the last time you were truly curious about what someone else had to say?

What’s one question you can ask this week to better understand your team?

How might your leadership change if you focused more on listening—and less on impressing?

Great leaders don’t just talk. They listen. And when you’re genuinely interested in the people you work with, you build a culture of trust, engagement, and shared success.

👉 Log into Boundless and share:​
What’s one thing you learned this week by choosing to be interested, not interesting?

When to Rethink Your Career: 5 Signs It’s Time to Move On

Every job has its ups and downs. But if you’re feeling stuck or worn out week after week, it might be more than just a rough patch. It could be a sign that it’s time to rethink your path.

Here are five signs it’s worth considering a change:

✅ You dread Mondays every week.​
When Sunday night turns into a cloud of anxiety, stress, or disengagement—every single week—it’s a red flag. Work doesn’t have to be your passion, but it also shouldn’t be your constant source of dread.

✅ You’re not growing or challenged.​
If you feel bored, stuck, or like you’re no longer learning, it’s a signal that you’re ready for a new challenge. Growth is what keeps you engaged and excited in your career.

✅ You’re burnt out and can’t recover.​
Temporary burnout can be managed. But if no amount of rest or new projects seems to lift the fog, it’s worth asking if the role—or even the field—still fits you.

✅ Your values don’t match the work.​
If the company’s mission or culture is in conflict with what matters most to you, it’s tough to find meaning or fulfillment in your work. Misalignment like this can slowly drain your motivation.

✅ You’re daydreaming about something else.​
If your mind constantly wanders to other careers or roles, pay attention. It’s your brain’s way of telling you it’s time to explore.

What to Do Next​
Seeing yourself in one or more of these signs? You don’t have to quit today. But it’s a great moment to pause, reflect, and start mapping out what you really want next.

👉 Log into Boundless and share: What’s one thing you’d love to explore in your next role? Let’s start the conversation.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter and found practical insights to help you grow as a manager and leader—both in your organization and beyond. Don’t forget to get involved in the Boundless community. Connect with other members, share your experiences, and ask questions. Your next breakthrough might come from one great conversation.
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