Drexel University professor and Wildwood Crest lifeguard Robert Morier is hoping to make waves with his new study on how skills learned on the lifeguard stand show what it takes to succeed in business leadership.
Morier, 47, grew up in the Crest and worked as a lifeguard for five seasons through his college years. He recertified as a lifeguard last year to connect with the guards and test his hypothesis of how lifeguarding cultivates leadership skills that extend into professional and entrepreneurial success.
He is a professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he teaches venture capital and finance in the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship. He spent 20 years in the finance industry prior to becoming a professor at Drexel.
His pilot study found that the skills learned on the lifeguard stand – split-second decision-making, calm under pressure and risk assessment – mirror what it takes to succeed in entrepreneurship and business leadership.
In addition, “soft” skills like conflict resolution, empathy, staying “present” because guards can’t use cellphones while working on the stand, and interacting with a variety of beachgoers make lifeguards-turned-businesspeople “unique” as job candidates.
“I was blown away with the results,” Morier, who now lives in Philadelphia, said. “Going back to some of these basic skills is so critical for success in the business world. If a business is looking for these types of skills, someone who was an ocean lifeguard has a lot to offer.”
His study, “Why Lifeguards Make the Best Founders and CEOs,” was published at the end of April by Entrepreneur & Innovation Exchange (EIX.org). The study surveyed 119 current and former Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol members, covering demographic and educational background, years of experience in lifeguarding, self-reported impact of lifeguarding on decision-making, leadership, and adaptability, and reflections on the most valuable skills gained from lifeguarding.
“We surveyed former guards from 75 years of age to 16, from across all walks of life, including medical, education, police and the military,” Morier said. Most were 60 and over and had worked at least three summers as guards. Most, 41.2%, had at least a bachelor’s degree, 28.6% held a master’s degree, and 8.4% had a doctoral or professional degree.
Nearly 81% of the respondents reported that lifeguarding significantly affected their ability to take risks, lead, and adapt to uncertainty, according to Morier. Their first experience sitting solo on the stand was cited by 61% as the “most challenging” moment.
“At the Crest, you are assigned a lifeguard station for the summer, and we found that the guards managed it like their own business,” he said, referring to the 59% of respondents who pointed to real-time problem-solving, a sense of autonomy, accountability and situational awareness that mirrors key elements of the entrepreneurial mind-set.
Because lifeguards are not allowed to use their phones during their time working, 59% of respondents said they felt “healthier” at the end of the summer because they weren’t spending so much time on digital distractions. Morier said this forces lifeguards to develop deeper situational awareness, strengthen face-to-face communication skills and manage stress in real time.
“Imagine as a parent your 16-year-old wants to spend 12 weeks working on the beach, in the sun,” said Morier, father of two daughters. “It’s refreshing to know that the skills they develop as a guard are skills that you need to be successful as an entrepreneur or working in business. These skills can make you as a job candidate unique.”
The results of the study were a “new way to look at lifeguarding” for John “Bud” Johnson, chief of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol. Johnson has been a lifeguard for 60 years, starting when he was 17.
“Rob worked for me and I’ve known him a long time,” Johnson said. “He’s been successful in the business world and attributes part of his success to the skills he learned lifeguarding. I had never thought about it like this, but there is a connection between the skills you learn as a guard and success in business, starting with showing up every day and the everyday decision-making that takes place.”
Johnson said he thinks there is a three-year learning curve that takes place based on his observations of lifeguards over the years. “Safety on the beach is the key factor, and every day the lifeguards need communication skills, they need to project leadership and ownership, they need to explain rules and regulations to a variety of people,” he said. “All of these soft skills help prepare you for the business world.
“I’ve seen the guards start as a 16-year-old and each year become more and more confident, and now at the Crest we have 50/50, men and women, and this is preparing them for the business world. Think how that can change things going forward.”
Johnson is so supportive of Morier’s work that the two are hoping to start an internship for a Drexel student to be a lifeguard and learn the business end of things by working at City Hall. “There are 15 beach patrols from Brigantine to Cape May Point that could be helped as a result of this study,” he said. “If someone is looking for certain skills, ocean lifeguarding certainly has a lot of similar skills needed.”
Morier plans to return again this year as a lifeguard and expand his study to include other beach patrols in South Jersey. Eventually, he hopes to publish a book with his findings.
“It’s about getting back to basics,” he said. “Growing up here in Cape May County makes us a little bit different because of the service economy. If you can be a lifeguard and develop these skills, you can present yourself to future employers as having these basic skills that are often found lacking today. It can be a differentiator.”
Contact the reporter, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.
