Leadership Lessons from the Driving Range

I recently made a visit to the driving range to prepare for a golf outing I had the next day. It was a beautiful night and aside from just four other people at the range it was virtually empty.  About 30 minutes into my practice session the stall next to me became occupied by a gentleman in his early 50's equipped with a jumbo bucket of balls (about 150) and only a driver.

He proceeded (in rapid succession) to tee up one ball after another and swing wildly at each.The distance, direction and trajectory of each ball had about the same consistency and predictability as Tiger Woods' love life. With each failed shot he became more and more frustrated and despondent.

While observing him fanatically swing at each golf ball, three things became obvious to me.

First, he never stopped long enough between shots to reflect upon the outcome of the swing and to consider making adjustments that would produce a more favorable result.

Second, he came to the range with only one club - the driver - of which during a normal round of golf is used only about 14 times. Any golfer would benefit from learning and practicing with the other 13 clubs in a golf set as they each serve a specific purpose in a game.

Lastly, he was a prime example of Albert Einstein's definition of instanity: doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results.

As I so often do, I began to relate this situation to leadership...

Good leaders are passionate about self-reflection and feedback. They have a vision and a pre-determined course of action, yet along the journey they look for the critical feedback that allows them to make adjustments to better themselves and their companies. They reflect often, elicit the insight and perspective of others and know that feedback is critical to their long term success. 

Good leaders also know that to effectively lead others, they need to have "more than one club in their bag." They understand that different situations require different leadership styles and thus are adept at pulilng from a multitude of styles to lead and guide others. Without the understanding and proper use of multiple leadership styles, leaders can fall victim to relying on only their dominant style. Or as Bernard Baruch eloquently states - "If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail."

So as you navigate the Augusta, Pebble Beach, Saint Andrews that is your business..., remember that there is much to be learned from the shots that did not go as planned just as there is from those beautiful drives that split the fairway. And as you wouldn't imagine playing a round of golf with only one club, don't assume you can effectively lead with only one style.