I spent my early youth in Halat, Lebanon. The sea raised me before the world did.
Every morning, I’d follow my father to the beach, watch him suit up for his dive, and call out: “Baba, bring me toutia!” (Arabic for sea urchin).
Minutes later, he’d surface, grinning, with two sea urchins in hand. He’d cut them open for breakfast, then scoop me up and toss me into the water.
The salt. The waves. The freedom of floating, I felt untouchable. And I felt safe because he was there.
Until one day the ocean reminded me who was in charge.
That morning, my father said, “We’re not swimming today. It’s not safe.”
The water looked calm to me. I waited. The moment he lay down, I dashed into the water.
The instant I dove, the current grabbed me.
The harder I swam, the stronger it dragged me out.
I fought with everything I had, arms burning, lungs on fire, I was going under, until I heard his voice cut through the waves:
“Jamal, don’t panic. Float! You are doing good. Now swim parallel to the shore.”
I trusted his voice more than my fear.
Exhausted, I obeyed. Slowly, I reached the beach and collapsed in his arms.
That day, I learned lessons that echo every time I lead through uncertainty.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽
✅ Power isn’t in fighting the current—it’s knowing when to float. Push at the wrong time and you burn resources—or drown your business.
✅ Calm water can still kill. The riskiest moment is when everything looks fine. Most companies don’t die in chaos—they die in quiet.
✅ Yesterday’s strokes won’t win today’s race. WeWork rode the wave at $47B. Then the tide shifted. They couldn’t adapt fast enough—and went from unicorn to bankruptcy.
✅ The tide always changes. Highs don’t last forever. Neither do lows. The best leaders prepare for both.
💡 The ocean didn’t teach me to fight harder. It taught me when NOT to fight. Sometimes floating isn’t weakness, it’s a survival strategy
What about you? Where in your business—or your life—do you need to float before you swim?
