Emotional Intelligence Is Like Surfing: It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Ride the Waves
Nov 09, 2025What do emotional intelligence and surfing have in common?
You can do both—but how well you do them depends entirely on the size of the wave… or the intensity of the emotion you’re experiencing.
When people say they “have” emotional intelligence, it’s a bit like someone saying they can surf.
Maybe they can—in calm, predictable conditions.
But what happens when the waves get bigger? When the weather changes?
Can they still stay on the board? And for how long?
Anyone who says they “have” emotional intelligence is, in a way, proving they don’t.
What they likely have is awareness of emotion—which is useful, but only up to a point.
If you can’t stay upright when the waves rise, you’re in the water… not surfing.
Emotional intelligence isn’t awareness—it’s a skill.
It’s something you practice, again and again, especially when conditions get tough.
It’s the ongoing process of noticing what you think, how you feel, and what you do—particularly when emotions intensify—and using that awareness to stay balanced longer each time.
The only way I know to build it?
Through a framework of thinking that helps you recognise patterns, make sense of reactions, and optimise outcomes. Not as a one-off lesson, but through consistent practice.
Over time, that framework becomes second nature—muscle memory that allows you to stay upright no matter the conditions.
That’s what makes emotional intelligence so powerful.
It’s how you become the Kelly Slater of your own world—calm, capable, and confident, even when the waves get wild.
And in the climate we’re living in now—fast-changing, uncertain, and emotionally charged—learning to surf those waves has never been more important.
Because true leadership begins with the ability to ride the strongest emotional waves 🌊.
Ready to strengthen your emotional agility?
Let’s build the framework that helps you stay balanced—no matter how big the waves get.
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