200 Golf and the Game of Leadership can result in the ‘‘M’’ disease, mediocrity. Teams are proud to pronounce they function on a consensus basis. Well, some golfers just are better than others. Wouldn’t you want your best golfers hitting as many shots as possible when you are scrambling for success in the global marketplace? I think so. And, don’t you want the best leaders making the business deci- sions affecting the organization’s future. Can you afford a consen- sus approach in situations that require the best of leadership? Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of England, is reported to have said, ‘‘Consensus is the negation of leadership.’’ One of the difficulties organizational leaders face when they are ap- pointed to school boards, community organizations, and volun- teer efforts is the ‘‘golf scramble’’ formulation of the leadership teams. What About Teams? So, what should you as a leader do about teams? Teams are a tool for effective leadership when the situation calls for a team ap- proach based on bringing together the necessary talent to accom- plish a clear performance expectation. Choose the team members wisely based on their ability and willingness to contribute to the team task, that is, leaving their ego at the door. Help them to work together to maximize their synergy. Reward the team effort and don’t forget the individual pat on the back for contributors to the team’s success. Just don’t let them substitute for your good judgment and wisdom. There is one ‘‘team’’ you should not lose sight of, and this team should be allowed to play together to the fullest extent with you the leader. They are the people who serve as your ‘‘caddies’’ (helpers) in the day-to-day challenges of leadership. Together with them you can win a lot of Ryder Cup-type ‘‘foursomes,’’ ‘‘four- balls,’’ and ‘‘singles.’’ This is where dedication to your leadership role as ‘‘coach’’ will pay big dividends. One of those dividends will be that when success is achieved and accomplishments are applauded, you can stand up and say, ‘‘It was a team effort.’’ 10589$ CH16 02-23-04 16:45:40 PS 201 Caddies, Coaches, and Teams Sir Thomas More: ‘‘But Richard . . . Why not be a teacher? You’dbeafine teacher. Perhaps even a great one.’’ Richard Rich: ‘‘And if I was, who would know it?’’ Sir Thomas: ‘‘You, your pupils, your friends, God. Not a bad public, that . . .’’ Robert Bolt, A Man for All Seasons Quick Tips for Improving Your Leadership Game Real leaders typically understand and model the following in their day-to-day actions: ■ ‘‘How can I help?’’ Encourage associates to come to you when they need advice, information, decisions, problem- solving assistance, or coaching. ■ Ask what went wrong, not who did wrong. ■ Allow people to learn from their mistakes. ■ Meet with your associates individually to identify what you can do to help them be more effective in their jobs. You will need to know each person’s level of experience, confi- dence, and ability. Some may need structure, direction, and guidance. Others may need encouragement, confidence building, or emotional support. 10589$ CH16 02-23-04 16:45:40 PS 5 17 An Optimistic Outlook Know your limits and stay loose. Stan Moyer, The Tuesday Group One of the positive aspects of the game of golf is that golfers know that regardless of their play on the last hole or in the last round, there is always a next hole or a next round. This sparks more than the intense, eager interest of enthusiasm. The golfer is inclined to hope, even expect, that the best will happen on the next hole, or in the next round. The ‘‘Shark,’’ Tway, and ‘‘Zinger’’ In 1986, Greg Norman, the ‘‘Shark,’’ led all four of the major tournaments—the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA— entering the final round of play. He had never won a major tour- nament. He was optimistic about his chances as he entered play on the last day of each of the tournaments. It was an optimism 202 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:37 PS 203 An Optimistic Outlook based on his position on the leader board. That optimism was supported by his confidence in his playing ability. His optimism was sorely tested in the PGA when Bob Tway holed out from a greenside bunker on the 18th and final hole of the tournament to defeat Norman. Norman didn’t lose all four majors in 1986, nor did he lose his optimism about his ability to play and win. Greg Norman was the 1986 British Open Cham- pion. When Bob Tway hit out of the sand trap alongside the Inver- ness Country Club 18th green he was optimistic about hitting a good shot. He knew he could make it. He had the skill. He’d practiced and played hundreds, probably thousands, of similar shots. Did he think it could go in the cup? You bet. Did he think it would go in the cup? Probably not, but he knew if he got it close it had a chance of going in. And it did. Bob Tway had beaten Greg Norman for the 1986 PGA Championship. As he leaped within the bunker, and then outside it, enthusiasm reigned at the Inver- ness Club. I know, I was there. Paul Azinger holed out of a greenside bunker, a la Bob Tway, on the 72nd hole of the 1993 Memorial Tournament to beat Corey Pavin and the late Payne Stewart. Later in the year he beat Greg Norman on the second hole of a sudden death playoff, once again at the Inverness Club, to win the 1993 PGA Championship. Azinger had his best year as a professional in 1993 and was opti- mistic about his chances for a continuation of success in 1994. In December 1993, however, he was diagnosed with a lymphoma in his right shoulder. He turned his optimism to the hope that he would overcome his illness and return to his career as a profes- sional golfer. He did return and within a few years was once again playing with the best of them. He won the 2000 Sony Open in Hawaii. Optimism Defined Optimism, as defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary and The- saurus,is‘‘the tendency to take the most hopeful view of matters, it is a belief in the essential goodness of the universe, it is the belief 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:37 PS 204 Golf and the Game of Leadership that good ultimately prevails over evil, it is the inclination to hope for the best, cheerfulness, hopefulness, confidence, assurance, en- couragement, happiness, brightness, enthusiasm, good cheer, trust, calmness, elation, expectancy, and certainty.’’ It is the oppo- site of gloom and despair. An optimistic attitude is essential to the golfing and personal success of a Norman, a Tway, and an Azinger. Real golfers, and hackers like myself, are eternal optimists about their golf game. Today’s round, until proven otherwise, is going to be my best ever. And if not today, tomorrow! We tend to take the most hopeful view of the future in the context of the reality of our individual golfing ability. Real leaders are believers that good ultimately prevails over evil, that quality performance prevails over inferior performance. Like the golfer, they see the future with hope. They are optimistic, rarely pessimistic. They understand the reality that the past is past and the attainment of goals rests in the present and the future. They take a positive approach to their responsibilities. They know their outlook on life and leadership is one of the few things within their personal control. The minds of the golfer and the leader are characterized by ‘‘hope’’—the realistic perception that there is a way to proceed, that there is a future, that there is a solution to whatever confronts them. Remember Bill Niehous Back on ࠻7 I introduced you to Bill Niehous, a former leader in the Owens-Illinois Inc. organization. In the mid-1970s, Bill was General Manager of O-I’s Venezuelan operations. A real leader, Bill faced an extraordinary physical and mental test of self when he was kidnapped by rebel forces on February 27, 1976 and held hostage for three years in the jungles of Venezuela. I asked Bill how he had survived this experience. He told me he was prepared to survive by the way in which he had lived and worked prior to being kidnapped. Bill attributes his survival to the following five factors: 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:38 PS 205 An Optimistic Outlook 1. Faith and support, developed over the years, had become a part of him. It included his personal network of family, friends, acquaintances, and religious beliefs. He knew with confidence that his personal network was working as hard as possible to obtain his release. 2. Communication, actually the ability to communicate, was always a strength of Bill’s. He had worked hard to develop a high degree of fluency in Spanish, the language of his host country. So, he was able to speak with his captors and read in Spanish. He also kept a diary. 3. Conditioned to social environments, Bill was not exercised in the sense of push-ups and pull-ups, etc., but well experienced in a variety of social situations within community, business, church, volunteer, and recreational settings. 4. Empathy for the feelings of others allowed Bill to understand his captors. He didn’t like them but felt he needed to comprehend why they were rebelling against their government. He learned to understand why they felt downtrodden and oppressed. This un- derstanding helped him to maintain the attitude that his life was well worth living and helped him to keep moving forward. 5. A continuing optimism that he would be rescued made Bill set goals and objectives for when he returned home. He made plans that, as he described it, ‘‘allowed him to climb a ladder, not leap over a wall.’’ Initially, the plans were in terms of time. Bill was kidnapped in February and expected that his ransom and release would be settled by Easter and he would be home in time to see his son graduate from high school in June. That date came and passed. He focused on other events, like birthdays, his and Donna’s wedding anniversary, annual family vacations, Christ- mas. As each step on the ladder confirmed his survival to that point, he set another event he wanted to participate in and waited to be released in time for it. Bill eventually escaped from his captors on June 29, 1979 and was fortunately rescued by some Venezuelan farmers who recog- nized him and brought him to the authorities. An Owens-Illinois plane had him back in the states in less than twenty-four hours. 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:38 PS 206 Golf and the Game of Leadership Bill considers himself to be a fortunate person, never a celebrity. He sees himself as a survivor and continues to express apprecia- tion for all the people who worked so hard in attempting to obtain his release. He is still impressed by people who tell him they are so glad he made it back. Bill continues to work on a variety of community efforts and to further develop the five factors he cred- its for helping him survive his kidnapping. His advice to leaders is ‘‘forget difficulty, move forward, be positive and optimistic.’’ Bill also loves to golf, and his advice to golfers is the same, plus ‘‘swing hard.’’ How Are You Doing? I stopped at a Boston Market about a year ago for a carryout dinner. As the server, a teenage young lady, prepared the food she asked, ‘‘How you doing?’’ The question was posed with all the sincerity of the employee instructional handbook. ‘‘Well’’, I said, ‘‘I’m terrific’’ She looked at me with a somewhat startled expres- sion on her face. So I poured it on, telling her it was just as easy to say ‘‘I’m terrific’’ as to say ‘‘I’m okay,’’ and it makes me feel good when I do it. Now she is really looking at me as if I have just arrived from outer space and perhaps she should call the manager for assistance. So, I give her one last volley about how it doesn’t cost any more to be upbeat and positive than to be dull and bor- ing and besides it was a lot more fun for everyone. As I left the restaurant she was still shaking her head. About two months later, I revisited the same Boston market. I ordered my food and waited as the server began to prepare it. Midway between the chicken and new potatoes, the server stopped, looked me in the eyes, and said, ‘‘I’m terrific!’’ Who says the little positive things we do don’t have impact. Shades of mak- ing, not missing, a short putt! Leaders, and we all have the poten- tial to lead, have the power to influence others. Or as I prefer, we have the power to establish an environment that can help to moti- vate others. Real leaders do it in positive, optimistic ways in minor and major situations, knowing the greatest potential for payback and progress rests on their positive, optimistic behavior. And it is 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:38 PS 207 An Optimistic Outlook the simple things that we control that can pay big dividends. I like to ask leadership program participants how many of them make the effort to smile and greet everyone at the start of each business day. Regardless of how you may feel, you can positively influence others’ approach to the day with this simple effort. You’re in con- trol and you’ll feel better for it too. Only One Umbrella A small rural church was crowded with parishioners who had come to pray for rain. A severe drought was ruining farm crops throughout the county. The minister noted, however, that only one person, a little old lady, had brought an umbrella to the ser- vice! Optimism is a confident hopefulness. ‘‘A Hundred Times’’ Years ago, a gentleman by the name of Bob Wallace headed up the New Products area for Owens-Illinois Inc. Wallace was so op- timistic by nature that he often forecast potential markets at a hundred times their true size. When describing Wallace’s opti- mism, then O-I Chairman Ray Mulford once commented, ‘‘If I had a life threatening disease, I’d want Bob Wallace to tell me because he would make it sound so good.’’ Optimism is cheerful- ness and enthusiasm. A Million Bucks A corporation had the opportunity to broaden its market base through the acquisition of a small Pennsylvania company. The price was close to one million dollars. The division head whose operations would benefit from the acquisition was in favor of the purchase. When asked whether he could spare the people to man- age and technically support the acquisition, he replied, yes, with- out a moment’s hesitation. (Later, he said he didn’t give his response a moment of reflection either.) The acquisition was made and it turned out to be a failure. The responsible division 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:39 PS 208 Golf and the Game of Leadership head commented, ‘‘Boy, was I wrong! I ended up blowing a mil- lion bucks because I didn’t think the situation through. As the years have gone by the memory of that error has saved me from several much larger mistakes.’’ Optimism must be grounded in reality. Shackleton Gets My Vote In what I believe to be the greatest survival story of all time, Sir Ernest Shackleton, the noted Irish explorer, in 1914 led his twenty-six-man crew of the Endurance on a two-year odyssey from being lost in the Antarctic to eventual return to the safety of civilization. The story of Shackleton and the crew of the Endur- ance should be must reading for all who aspire to leadership. Shackleton did many things to help his men maintain a positive and optimistic attitude regarding the eventuality of a safe return. Suffice to say he set the example for leaders faced with maintain- ing optimism in the most extreme circumstances. One of the di- versions organized for the crew was ‘‘soccer on ice.’’ I’m certain had Shackleton foreseen the virtually unbelievable fate of the En- durance’s ill-fated journey, he would have brought along some golf clubs and played golf on the ice as well. Shackleton often said, ‘‘Optimism is true moral courage.’’ For the golfer who’s had a bad day on the links, or the leader who doesn’t see things going well, I recommend reading any of several accounts of the voyage of the Endurance. It will put your difficulties in perspective and deliver positive inspiration. As a Navy warrant officer was known to say whenever faced with yet another challenge to be dealt with, ‘‘Great, another opportunity to excel!’’ What Are Your Alternatives? Organizations want their employees to be enthusiastic about their work. Some companies promote the notion of employee enthusi- asm. They want their people to be eager, interested participants in the organization. This is good. It is, however, only part of being 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:39 PS 209 An Optimistic Outlook optimistic. You, as a leader, and your followers need to be opti- mistic for your mental health and physical well-being. You should be, and hopefully are, enthusiastic about the work that you do. But you need more. Let me explain. Imagine that Figure 17-1A is a large picture window, a large single pane of glass. Now, imagine someone throws a brick at the window and breaks it. The whole window is destroyed. Now imagine another window. That window, as shown in Figure 17-1B, is the same size as the picture window, but rather than being a single pane of glass it consists of several, actually nine, separate panes. Is that brick still handy? Pick it up and throw it at this window. What happened? You probably broke a pane or FIGURE 17-1. A. Single pane window. B. Multipane window. A B 10589$ CH17 02-23-04 16:45:41 PS . limits and stay loose. Stan Moyer, The Tuesday Group One of the positive aspects of the game of golf is that golfers know that regardless of their play on the. performance. Like the golfer, they see the future with hope. They are optimistic, rarely pessimistic. They understand the reality that the past is past and the attainment