Leadership Lessons from the game of Golf.

A standard golf course has 18 holes journey to a player needs to make to finish a game. On an average, it might take you 3hours to conclude a round of golf but like life, it comes with a lot of obstacles, challenges, opportunities, despair and in most cases fun. The exciting part about a golf game is that every day is not the same. The style of play on a wet day is different from that of a dry day. You can consistently make a birdie on a particular hole and on some not too good days, you make a triple boogie or even more. Above all, it is very fulfilling to know that there is a very strong affinity between golf and leadership. We have curated very simple leadership lessons you can get play golf and if you have not tried this game, come join us and be sure it is fulfilling.

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1.??????One size doesn’t fit all: You need to be flexible and versatile with your range, shots, and hence which golf club to use. No two holes are the same. Every hole requires its own winning strategy because there are series of factors surrounding your decision at each point in time.

2.?????The gap between strategy & execution can be huge: You can have the best of shots in a practice range and then be surprised at how things go south on the main golf course. Because for the main golf course, it is not just about how well you hit, but the accuracy and direction make all the difference.

3.?????Little changes produce great results: Golf is a game of margins. Whether it is about how well you follow through your hit or not, turning your body through or whether you take a full swing or half swing, each impact significantly the result.

4.?????Focus is key: Many at times as a golfing rookie you are more interested in watching how the ball flies vs. keeping your focus absolutely on the ball when about to kick. That makes a difference between a bad shot and a good one. Focus is also relevant all through the game. First nine holes can be great and the last nine holes becomes a nightmare. Never get too excited when you are winning because it just be the beginning of your downfall in the game.

5.?????Resource efficiency: With golf you are at liberty to hit the ball multiple times before you get to the green and putt. But you understand the more you reduce the number of hits, the more your chance at winning. So, get your outcome with the least of resources available to you.

6.????A true test of integrity: Golf is a proven litmus test for key leadership qualities like integrity, keeping a calm head in a bad situation, honesty, consideration, and respect for one another. You can learn a lot about a man/ woman by just playing a game of golf together.

7.?????Success is not an event but a succession of process: ?In golf, you don’t win by playing extraordinary at one hole and messing up at the rest. Your overall score is an aggregation of your performance across all the 18 holes.

8.?????Success is not a given: ?Gold can be cruel sometime. You can start well and finish badly or vice versa. Your success at a particular hole is no guarantee that you will still do well in the next. You must keep your focus, do the fundamentals, and give it your best shot anytime.

9.????Competition Matters: In the game of golf, you don’t win by outsmarting your previous performance, but you need to do better than your competitors. You must beat your competition to win, no other way.

10.???Practice and consistency is King: Never ending practice makes you a better golfer. You get to improve on a series of little things during practice to ensure you are on top of your game. If you are inconsistent with your practice, it shows in your game. Be committed to the game and you see the improvement you get as you progress.

11.????The right and diverse team: You can’t do well at the golf course if you don’t have a good blend of golf clubs to handle different scenarios. A putter functions very different from a driver or an iron. The diversity of the golf clubs and the effective usage at the right occasion with the right technical know how makes a lot of difference.

12.???Cost minimization: Early days in golf are relatively more expensive. You have the propensity to lose so many balls during each game. It meant you must constantly buy more golf balls every week which wasn’t a good feeling. As you become better, you no longer lost balls and that will save some cash.

13.???Distractions can be costly: Anytime you are about the hit a ball on the golf course, every noise and movement must cease, because the least distraction can throw your game off board.

14.???Self-assessment: Golf is a game that recognizes that not all talents are the same. It makes provision for your shortfalls (called handicap) but then you are inspired to reduce your handicap by becoming better each day. For example, it will be weird to have the same handicap for several years. It is expected to reduce as time goes by.

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Think about these 14 lessons and imagine the leadership lessons that you can derive from each of the pointers. Like life, you more you live, the more you learn and adapt. Same applies to GOLF and LEADERSHIP. Happy GOLFING!

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Written by Roland Ofori and Onaivi Stephen