Most people live and lead at the surface. They take action, react to problems, and stay in motion—but rarely do they pause long enough to go deeper.
The truth is, real leadership growth happens beneath the surface. Just like in scuba diving, the deeper you go, the more pressure you face—but also the more clarity, power, and opportunity you find.
Let’s talk about the power of the deep dive.
What Scuba Diving Taught Me About Leadership
If you follow me, you know I love the ocean. I’m an avid scuba diver and spearfisherman. I’ve gone beyond 100 feet below the surface more times than I can count.
When I tell most people that, they think it’s crazy. The pressure down there is intense. Every 30 feet you descend, the atmospheric pressure increases. At 120 feet, that’s four times the pressure of the surface.
But that pressure is where the excitement is. That’s where the big fish are. The beauty. The challenge. The rewards.
Leadership works the same way.
Most Leaders Stay Shallow
In business, many leaders stay in the shallow end. They stick to surface-level tactics. They rely on old habits, outdated identities, and stories they’ve told themselves for years.
They say things like:
- “That’s just how I operate.”
- “This is the way we’ve always done it.”
- “I know what I’m doing.”
But unless someone is willing to challenge those beliefs—ask the tough questions—they never go deeper. And without depth, there’s no transformation.
Be x Do = Have
There’s a concept I teach: Be times Do equals Have.
- Have is what you want.
- Do is the action you take to get what you want.
- But Be is where the deep dive lives. That’s who you need to become.
Most people try to do more to get more. But they never stop to examine who they are being. That’s where the biggest breakthroughs live.
The Deep Dive is Where the Breakthroughs Live
As a coach, I used to let myself off the hook. I avoided asking the hard questions. I did not want to make a client uncomfortable by pressing too hard.
But I realized something. If I let them off the hook, I’m really letting myself off the hook.
Now, I go deep. I challenge my clients. I ask the questions no one else is willing to ask.
Because when we do that—when we bring the hard truths to the surface—everything changes.
Old habits break. New clarity forms. Identity shifts. Confidence grows. Leaders transform.
Pressure Brings Possibility
Yes, the deep dive brings pressure. But it also brings exhilaration.
You will see things at 120 feet that you cannot see at 60 feet.
You will uncover insights at the core of who you are that you will never access while staying safe in the shallow water.
When you go there—when you challenge your team, your leaders, your own thinking—you rise into a whole new level of leadership, communication, and personal mastery.
Final Thoughts
Most people will never take the deep dive. That’s why most people never change.
But those who are willing to go there—those who are willing to face the pressure, ask the tough questions, and shift their identity—become the leaders everyone else wants to follow.
Take the dive.
COACH MICHAEL DILL is an Award-Winning Certified Business Coach, global speaker, and published author. He is a proud ActionCOACH Franchise Partner as well as the President of Power & Ice Wealth Creation—a strategic leadership company that works with business owners, leaders, teams, and entrepreneurs to both develop a systematized and structured organization while accelerating their mindset, efficiencies, and effectiveness to grow both personally and professionally to achieve extraordinary results. He brings more than 40 years of business and entrepreneurial experience in his leadership, team training, and mentoring practice. BusinessCoachMichaelDill.com