About 25 years ago I started doing research and writing about innovators and entrepreneurs who had repeatedly been successful. I was interested in how they sustain innovation over time, not just as a one-hit wonder. In the course of this project I stumbled upon an unexpected, common characteristic they shared: they took analogies and metaphors literally. This enabled them to form some odd couplings and creative inventions, ranging from making an industrial solvent into “Kitty Litter” to a “talking typewriter” that eventually became a smart phone.

In the world of business a common analogy at that time was matching “cycles”, “sets” and “waves” to economic activity. One day I had an epiphany: why not take that analogy literally and seek out those who are the subject matter experts on waves? I chose two: physicists and surfers! I started talking to both and found conventional wisdom on waves from the physicists, and unconventional wisdom on waves from the surfers. Taken together I gained new insights into the world of work.

In 1991, in my New York Times bestseller, If it ain’t broke…BREAK IT!, amidst dozens of other topics, I wrote a few pages about seven “Surfer’s Rules”, and moved on. I received occasional comments about The Surfer’s Rules and in 1998 I was asked to do a short video feature to explain them further as part of a four-video package of training materials on innovation. To my surprise, the royalties on The Surfer’s Rules video was quadruple the combined total of the other three. I could see there was a broad audience for them, but I still did not see the depth of wisdom in the Rules and their direct application to being an entrepreneur.

Between 1998 and early 2014 I wrote three other books, all concerning aspects of innovation, change, leadership and strategy. In none did I mention The Surfer’s Rules, as I still was evolving in my own understanding of them. In late 2104, I expanded a section of my latest innovation-training program, Innovating for Results, to include a long segment on The Surfer’s Rules as a strategic planning tool.

In 2015, I contacted my literary agent, John Willig, with an idea about an ambitious, data-driven book that summarized my 25 years of research on innovation. I developed a book proposal in which one of the chapters revolved around the Rules. The proposal was sent around to a half dozen publishers and generated some interest immediately. But one editor, Stephen Power at the American Management Association (AMACOM books) contacted John immediately.

Stephen had an idea: Might there actually be a book that could come from The Surfer’s Rules per se? Stephen was interested in targeting young entrepreneurs, start-ups and innovators and saw something unique and special in the juxtaposition of surfing and business. He contacted John, John asked me what I thought about the idea and after I had a talk with Stephen I decided to give it some thought.

By this point I knew that my real interest in the surfing community had shifted to the small, elite group of athletes who rode Big Waves. Having talked to many of them over several years, I knew that the Big Wave surfers were a breed apart: prepared, focused, patient, creative and courageous. As such, their traits mirrored my research findings of successful, serial entrepreneurs and innovators.

So I wrote a new proposal for a totally different book and audience. John looked at the new proposal and liked it. Stephen looked at it and liked it too, not only offering a contract almost immediately but even proposing a title: “Make Your Own Wave.” I knew immediately that he “got it,” he understood the power of this analogy that linked Big Wave riders and entrepreneurs. He also understood the depth of insight these elite athletes could offer readers. I signed the contract, added an “s” to the title to reflect the ability to repeatedly succeed, and Make Your Own Waves was born.

In writing the book, the starring role played by Big Wave surfers led me to immerse myself in that world. The deep dive helped me to evolve and modify the original seven Rules into the ten Surfer’s Rules that form the book. The more I researched the better the analogy fit and I then realized that there was a natural chronology or cycle to the Rules. The first four chapters (Learn to Swim; Get Wet; Decide to Ride, Always Look “Outside”) address the hard work to be done before even trying to ride a wave. The middle three chapters focus on the rides, wipeouts and determination to get up after set backs (Commit. Charge. Shred.; Paddle Back Out; Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean). And the last three chapters examine how important it is to not rest on your laurels, to collaborate and to stay passionate about what you do (Dare BIG!; Never Surf Alone; Stay Stoked!).

Today’s business opportunities—and challenges – are enormous. They roll in at high speed, in sets and intervals that mirror the ocean’s cycles. The size of the opportunity is dictated by trends, technology, market savvy and hard work. With the unconventional wisdom of Big Wave surfers in their toolbox, innovators and entrepreneurs will be better prepared to make their own waves. Where there’s a will, there’s a WAVE.

I am often asked why so many of the photos of me have my hands spread wide and held high. Here is why.

My first visit to South Africa came in the 1970s at the height of apartheid. As a young and somewhat idealistic professor on the Semester at Sea program, when the ship docked I was shocked to see “coloured only” signage echoing the racist attitudes and policies there. As was true at every port, after the bow lines were tied off, a group of customs and government officials came on board to review all the paperwork and passports before clearing the passengers to disembark.

On board that semester were about 50 faculty and staff, 500 students, from more than 200 colleges and a dozen countries. Eleven of the American students were black.

As we lined up to head down the gangway word spread that the black students were not being allowed to leave the ship. For almost all of us this came as a shock, and the more we talked about it the more of us said, “If the black students cannot leave neither will we.” Less than a dozen students left the ship, creating a mini international incident because there were cameras and reporters waiting on the dock to capture the ship’s arrival and create human-interest stories. Now the story became “why aren’t the students coming off the ship?”

Within half an hour we watched as a half dozen white men in dark suits carrying brief cases came aboard. We knew of course that this had something to do with the student and faculty boycott. About an hour later we were told that the black students would be able to leave the ship after doing some additional paperwork, and by carrying an ID card identifying them as “temporary Europeans.”

Absurd as this was, we all felt it was a viable compromise that would get all of us onto land and onto our various planned adventures. At this point I disembarked and headed off for the full seven days of our stay and ventured far and wide from Cape Town to a safari in Kruger Park, barely getting back for “on-ship time” two hours before departure.

As I approached the gangway I saw something very troubling: a number of students and faculty were crying. A colleague told me why.

Two of the black students got off the ship a bit late and as they were leaving the dock two white student friends who had rented a car hailed them. The black students were invited to come along on a leisurely ride up the twisting road to the top of Table Mountain.

Somewhere on that drive, upon seeing a white girl in the back seat with a black guy, an enraged Afrikaans driver ran the students’ car off the road, down the mountainside, and then sped off. One of the black students was killed and the others were all seriously injured. No attempt was made to track down the Afrikanns driver. Instantly we were all faced with the reality of racism at its worst.

That evening many of us had an impromptu meeting. As you can imagine, emotions were running very high. There was a lot of anger in the air, as thick as the dense fog over Table Mountain. The rhetoric escalated and built and built.

Then something happened that changed me to this day.

I was sitting next to one of the black students who had known of the accident for a few days. She was listening to everything very intently. Finally she had heard enough. She stood up and said to no one in particular “there is too much rage in here. It does not honor our fellow student’s life. There is not enough love in this room, we need to spread the dream!” She then raised her arms and spread them wide. Almost immediately, everyone in the room stood and raised their arms in unison.

Ever since then, when I am in a special place or situation, one that touches my soul, I raise my hands high, to celebrate that moment…and life.

Make Your Own Waves-The Book's History

IN the name of LOVE, raise your arms...