Learn the Secret to Leading Yourself Well from Jack Nicklaus

It’s crucial for every great leader to know who they are and develop their own style. In fact, the best leaders are the ones who understand they are like no one else, that they have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and they are always going to be a work in progress.  

I have to tell you, this describes Jack Nicklaus perfectly. I got to interview him on my How Leaders Lead podcast and he shared how part of his success was due to learning not only from his failures and mistakes, but also taking the time to learn from his wins because it helped him prepare for the future. He became a student of his strengths and weaknesses.

Believe it or not, there’s lots of learnings from Jack and the golf course that apply to leadership in all aspects of your life. For example, golf is a single person sport – it’s all on you. And leadership can feel like that too. When you’re feeling alone, it’s important to learn how to lead yourself. Jack is a pro at this. If you can learn to lead yourself well, you can go far and I can’t think of anyone better to guide you than Jack!  

He starts by being prepared. Jack shared these words of wisdom on my podcast. “Being prepared is probably the most important thing in any walk of life. You can't walk into a business meeting, you can’t walk into anything as a salesperson, if you're not prepared.”  

I agree with this advice 100%!! Preparation matters and can make the difference between success and failure. But here’s the catch – preparation requires time on your part. How much time do you invest in preparing at work and in your personal life?  

Another way Jack leads himself is by visualizing success. Jack learned to visualize where he wanted his shot to go, and it helped him become a better golfer. This applies to business too. Let me tell you how I visualize success. It starts before I go to bed each night. I look at my calendar, and then lay down and think about each meeting I’m going to have. I visualize what a good meeting will look like. I think about who’s going to be in the meeting and what their attitudes might be and how I can influence them to get the results that will take our business forward. This way, I’m prepared and ready to succeed. How often do you visualize your success?

Jack is such a humble and grounded guy and he leads by example – on the golf course and leading one of the world’s largest golf course design companies. He does it all with a deep-down belief in preparation. And the results don’t lie. How will you start leading yourself well this week?  

If you want to learn more about the how Jack had courage to do what he loved rather than selling insurance, listen to his podcast on howleaderslead.com this Thursday.