Golf provides lessons for leadership in business, politics, life

Those of us who have played golf know that the big difference between our success and failure at any given time is almost always mental not physical. When athletes of similar talent compete, in any sport, mental competence and expertness (I call it “toughness”) is what separates winners from others. So it is too with senior executives, elected political leaders and military leaders, whose success and failure depends on the same factors. That simply means the thoughtfulness and the ability to exercise the necessary discipline over our behavior, having continual control of our emotions, having and maintaining utmost confidence in our abilities, and possessing the presence of mind to size up the circumstances correctly and decide decisively.

Just as golfers need to learn shot making, positioning, recovery plays and other critical skills, leaders in any field need to master certain competencies which are required for performance that is consistent with winning. As golfers we need to master swing fundamentals, course management, touch, feel (e.g. putting and chipping) and nerves. Leaders need to master business fundamentals, people management, organizational politics, situational feel – oh, and nerves. In both golf and in leadership, we are supposed to know, understand and follow the rules of the game. As golfers and leaders we must always carry ourselves with class and behave with professionalism and honor. In golf and leadership what counts most is what we do alone.

The exceptionally mentally tough leaders and war heroes tend to be high in what is called “emotional intelligence” or EQ. To perform brilliantly when it counts, whether you’re an athlete or an executive, there are three essential aptitudes we can learn from golf – and all are components of high EQ.
The most basic is getting to know ourselves as deeply as possible. High self-awareness, which means understanding our strengths, our tendencies, our limitations, our attitudes, our peculiar habits and those areas where we need to grow; this is absolutely essential for someone to manage others effectively. Secondly, high performing leaders need to have a savvy grasp of the situation at all times. They need to see the big picture and they need to be keenly focused on what is happening in the moment. As with Greg Norman, who started the 1996 final round at the Masters with a 5-shot lead, sometimes raw nerves conspire with bad decisions to sabotage business leaders, golf pros and politicians. Norman lost by 5 to Nick Faldo.

Perhaps most importantly, we need to control our emotions, which is the earmark of high EQ people. Golfers like Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam and Tiger Woods stand on a pedestal as classic performers, and were always under control and didn’t lose their cool under pressure. Loss of command of our emotions can hijack our brains. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to think clearly and rationally when you’re angry or really down? If you’re a public speaker saying the right thing before an audience may depend on getting grasp on your emotions. A symphony musician must have total control to let the composer’s music come out with virtuosity. We can learn these things from golf, especially if we pay attention, and become students of the game, and look more closely at ourselves.

Perhaps the deepest lesson that golf has personally taught me is how to recover from bad breaks and adversity. Sometimes, the difficulty and misfortune is our own making, and sometimes it is just, as we say in golf, “the rub of the green.” Sometimes golf itself briefly becomes an exercise in frustration. Often, senior managers and public servants are faced with torment of a similar nature. I have observed that the strongest ones – those with more emotional deftness and inner flexibility – tend to overcome these trials and tribulations. Responding to the challenges, the setbacks and the disappoints, establishes the winners in leadership and golf.

Dr. Charlie Blanchard is a licensed psychologist specializing in sports and leadership. Contact him at docblanchard71@gmail.com.