Champion Golfers are like Successful Executives

K.J. Choi won the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass yesterday, coming from behind to defeat David Toms in a sudden death playoff. Graeme McDowell, who had been leading at the beginning of the day, faltered badly and ended up tied for 33rd.

Watching the tournament on TV was entertaining. The field was very competitive, with numerous pros within reach of the win. The course at TPC Sawgrass is a brutal challenge, laced with water hazards, insidious little pothole bunkers, and dastardly-sloped greens. The elite golfers were not immune to sending balls crashing through foliage or splashing into water. As good as they are, they still succumb to some of the same challenges we have as amateurs.  Don't you just love that? 

The attributes that champion golfers exhibit would serve them well should they decide to make a switch to a corporate boardroom. Perhaps that’s why so much business is done on the golf course…

SKILL IS ESSENTIAL: Some are natural-born golfers/leaders. Everyone has to hone their skills to be successful in the long term.

BE PREPARED: Golfers practice, work with coaches, collaborate with their caddies, and continue to develop their skills between tournaments. Preparation is a key to success in the corporate world. It fosters consistency, stability, and trust.

PERSISTENCE PAYS: K.J. Choi lurked one stroke behind David Toms for much of the final round of the Players Championship. He was in position to take advantage of a misstep by Toms to win the whole tournament. A flash of brilliance rarely wins the day – it takes focus and persistence to be a consistent winner in life.

VISUALIZE YOUR GOAL: If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t know when you get there. Golfers always shoot to a target. Executives must have specific goals.

PLAY BY THE RULES: Golf has an extensive and detailed rule book. You must know and adhere to the rules, or face costly penalties. Some rules in business are less clear, but breaking rules in a corporate environment can get you fired, or even prosecuted and sent to jail. (Ask Raj Rajaratnam.)

MOVE ON FROM MISTAKES: The landscape on a golf course offers many opportunities to make bad shots. A golfer must be able to recover and move on to the next shot and the next hole. Executives make honest mistakes too, and must be able to regroup, learn from their mistakes, and move forward.

STYLE & CHARISMA COUNT: The media was clearly enamored with Graeme McDowell’s ease and charm during interviews. As a result, they treated him kindly when he lost his command of the lead on Sunday. Relationships matter.

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