x Acknowledgments script. A tip of the golf cap to Niels for making the task a most enjoyable one. My thanks as well to Mike Sivilli of AMACOM for managing the overall editorial processes and book production. And finally, special thanks to all who have contributed to my leadership, and golfing, experiences. 10589$ $ACK 02-23-04 16:44:05 PS OnthePracticeTee On August 10, 1994 at about 3:30 in the afternoon, I was driving to Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. Our then 20- year-old son, Kevin Michael O’Toole McHugh, was with me. Highland Meadows was not a new experience for either of us. Kevin had played there many times, including in junior golf tour- naments. His sisters, Kathy and Lisa, had both worked at the Club. Kathy was the Club’soffice manager for several years and Lisa worked in the dining room and the office while going to college. Kevin was home for a few days prior to beginning his junior year at the University of Michigan. He had just completed an NROTC midshipman cruise on a guided missile destroyer out of San Diego. This day he was interested in tuning up his well-above- average golfing skills. As a freshman, Kevin was invited to try out for Michigan’s golf team. He missed making the team by an aver- age of less than one stroke over five 18-hole rounds! Kevin was enthusiastic about the opportunity to play High- land Meadows, an excellent course that annually hosts the LPGA’s Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Tournament. I was along in the hope of picking up some pointers that would improve my hacker status. The conversation on the way caught me by surprise. ‘‘Dad,’’ says Kevin, ‘‘why don’t you write a book?’’ ‘‘A book! About what?’’ ‘‘You know, about that leadership stuff you’ve developed. You really know a lot from your experiences and I think you should write about them.’’ ‘‘You’ve been talking to your mother!’’ 1 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:06 PS 2 Golf and the Game of Leadership ‘‘No, really, I think you should write a book about leader- ship.’’ Many people—family, friends, associates—can say ‘‘why don’t you’’ . . . and they can be easily dismissed. But when your youngest son, last in the line of six children, says, ‘‘write a book, Dad,’’ eventually you just have to do it! Well, eventually is here! So, you say, ‘‘Wait a minute, McHugh! What qualifies you to write a book on leadership? Your son is probably biased, and that’s nice, but how about sharing some of your leadership cre- dentials.’’ That’s a fair request. I have been quite fortunate in that my working career has afforded me the opportunity to serve as a leader in a variety of organizations and at various levels of respon- sibility. Let me highlight my experiences. I have held executive positions in two major Fortune 100 cor- porations, General Motors Corporation (GM) and Owens-Illinois Incorporated (O-I). During my years at GM, I pursued a program of personal development that resulted in a master’s degree from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. from the Ohio State Uni- versity. These credentials were critical to my later selection as dean, continuing education, at the University of Toledo. And, over a twenty-six-year military career, I’ve had the good fortune to have my leadership contributions rewarded by advancement to the rank of Captain USNR. I believe now is the perfect time to write about leadership. The country, the world, your loved ones, and mine, need leaders as never before. So do our organizations. And, I submit, ‘‘real leaders’’ are in short supply. There are many books available that present theories of lead- ership. These are accompanied by all manner of charts utilizing geometric shapes, matrix pigeon holes, and lots of arrows, both linear and circular. The qualities, personalities, and styles of suc- cessful leaders, past and present, are listed. Persons of great power, influence, or notoriety are placed under the microscope. I’ve de- cided not to go any of these routes. ‘‘So,’’ I say to myself, ‘‘how can I write a book about leader- 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:06 PS 3 On the Practice Tee ship that conveys what I believe are the pragmatic keys to being a successful leader? And, how can I do it in an easily understood, meaningful, helpful, and enjoyable way?’’ I’ve chosen to use the game of golf. If you play golf, you know the spellbinding influence it has on its practitioners. For ‘‘real golfers’’ the game and all its subtleties and vagaries grip the soul. Golf is a marvelous blend of tests of skill and character, the quest for continuous improvement, mo- ments of great exultation, and huge disappointment. It has its own language, rules, customs, and etiquette, which are followed religiously by those who prize the title ‘‘golfer.’’ If you are not a golfer, you need to make friends with one. You’ll be introduced to a romantic game, which in its substance and symbolism mirrors the lessons needed for the practice of ef- fective leadership. The ‘‘game of golf ’’ and the ‘‘game of leadership’’ metaphors should come easily to those 27 million Americans, 1.8 million Canadians, and other millions worldwide who play golf regularly. Many more millions daily attempt to play the game of leadership. Both games are played with widely, and wildly, ranging results. Success at golf is exhilarating. Failure at the game is disappointing. Success at leadership brings a sense of accomplishment. Failure at leadership can be detrimental to the leader, harmful to followers and disastrous for organizations, as illustrated, for example, by Enron, Lucent, WorldCom, Corning, LTV, Rite-Aid, and others. This book may make you more relaxed when you go golfing, but it will not cause you to be a success on the golf course. If, however, you take its simple lessons to heart and exercise perfect practice of lessons you select, you’ll be a more effective leader— what I call a ‘‘real leader’’—and perhaps even a ‘‘great leader.’’ You probably don’t determine your organization’s vision, val- ues, and strategy. However, you are expected to have the necessary technical skill and ability to manage your functional or profes- sional area of responsibility in accordance with the established vision, values, and strategy. These are givens that will not be ad- dressed. What I will address are the expectations of you as a leader of people, that is, how do you combine the efforts of others so that your organization thrives and survives. 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:07 PS 4 Golf and the Game of Leadership I facilitate a leadership development program for technical people. The participants are mostly engineers. At the beginning of the first day of the program, I ask, ‘‘Are there any engineers in the room?’’ As you probably expect, most of the people raise their hands. And, I say, ‘‘You must be in the wrong room, this is a program for leaders.’’ No, I’ve never been thrown out of the room. The point is made! Leadership is a different game. There is a difference be- tween being an engineer with leadership concerns and being a leader with an engineering background. We move on from there. So, I ask that you see yourself as a person with technical or professional skills and experiences that are not to be discarded. They are important to you and your understanding of what needs to be accomplished. But the job now is ‘‘the leadership of others’’ in the context of the organization’s vision, values, and strategy. Therefore, my focus throughout this book is on you. We’ll look at the attitudes, behaviors, and actions your followers, and others, expect from you as leader. Golf and leadership rest on similar foundations of fundamen- tal concepts. Both are games for the individual. The golfer must hit his or her own ball. The leader must decide the next move. Consequently, each must accept the responsibility for the results. This book is meant for you, the leadership tournament player, the organizational leader on the front line working to make things happen. It is you who must do the right things, in the right way, if goals are to be achieved. You’ve probably not been anointed, didn’t marry the chairman’s son or daughter, and weren’t born with a silver putter in your hand! You are simply a hard-working person, with sleeves rolled up, dedicated to being the best leader you can be, and beyond that let the putts drop where they may. Though the ‘‘top of the organization hitters’’ are not the pri- mary focus for this book, I do invite them to join us as we play the round. After all, you need their support and example if you are to be the very best leader you can be. They should be aware of what we are talking about. In writing about Inspector Thomas Lynley, principal charac- ter in her mystery novel For the Sake of Elena, Elizabeth George muses: ‘‘Having not read university writing in years, Lynley smiled 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:07 PS 5 On the Practice Tee in amusement. He’d forgotten that tendency of the academician to voice his pronouncements with such egregious pomposity.’’ Many have written thoughtfully about leadership. In like manner, others have written about it in academic fashion. I intend these pages to be thoughtful and wise but above all pragmatically useful to you in your pursuit of leadership effectiveness. Whether leadership can or cannot be taught, it most certainly can be learned. We can all be our own best teachers. Honest self- evaluation, plus a little help from those around us who wish our success, can give us a good handle on our capabilities. When we teach ourselves, we have the unique opportunity to sort through and apply the wisdom of generations. We can all learn from the great leaders of the past and present, just as the golfer attempts to learn from the golfing greats. But, we must know what to look for and how to apply it. This includes learning what not to do, which may be the best lesson of all! The round you are about to play is one I’ve played for many years with some measurable success. As a golfer, though I love the game, I am not, nor have I ever been, anything close to a ‘‘scratch player.’’ However, I have long felt the confidence of a low handi- cap leader. Over the years I’ve had to adapt my leadership skills to meet change, just as the golfer must adapt to play a hole, a course, and the elements. I’ve played a lot of leadership rounds. I’ve observed many other leaders play their rounds as well. I try to help others to be more effective leaders through facilitated leadership devel- opment activities. It is the wisdom gained through these efforts I wish to share with you. My approach is to bring together the challenges of leadership and the challenges of the game Kevin and I went out to play on that August day in 1994, the marvelous game of golf. It is a lifelong addiction for many, and the numbers keep increasing. Golf is a near perfect metaphor for leadership. The game of golf and the game of leadership both offer chal- lenge. Each presents obstacles to success. Excellent performance in each game is rewarded. New challenges in each game are just over the horizon. Golf and leadership, to be played well, require understanding and consistent practice of basic fundamentals. Both demand, for most of us, the necessity of practice. Tools are 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:07 PS 6 Golf and the Game of Leadership available for each game, and in each, tool selection is up to the player. Both are games for the thinking person. Both require the use of management skill. You cannot consistently win at either game if you are not positive and optimistic about the results of your play. Possibly above all, the game of golf and the game of leadership require total focus and concentration if optimum re- sults are to be achieved. We will illustrate further as we play the leadership course. The game of golf is a test of the individual. So is the game of leadership. Success at golf or leadership rests on the application of fundamental skills refined through practice, performance, and repetition. Master the skills required to play golf and you can consistently shoot respectable scores at any age. Master the skills of playing the leadership game and you can be an effective leader over time. My hope for the following pages is that they provide you with reinforcement of your individual leadership skills and thoughtful opportunities for increasing your leadership effectiveness. You know, move your leadership scores from above 100 to the 90s, from the 90s to the 80s, and from the 80s to the 70s. If you legiti- mately find yourself consistently leading in the 70s, let me know how you do it for my next book! A full golf course consists of 18 holes of play. These holes vary in length and difficulty. Each hole is assigned a ‘‘par,’’ the number of golf shots expected of a good golfer to complete the hole. Par can be 3, 4, or 5, based principally on the length of the hole. The total of par for the 18 holes is most often 72 but can be 70, 71, or even 73, depending on the course layout. Using our golf metaphor for leadership, we have named our chapters ‘‘holes.’’ The first six holes of the Global Leadership Course are straightforward requirements for a successful player of the leader- ship game. A leader should par these holes as a foundation for moving on to hole ࠻7, ‘‘The Slight Edge,’’ which discusses the need to increase leadership effectiveness. Holes ࠻8 through ࠻18 provide insight into how you as a leader can develop a slight edge in your leadership skills. Enjoy the round! 10589$ $TEE 02-23-04 16:44:08 PS T HE G LOBAL L EADERSHIP C OURSE 10589$ PRT1 02-23-04 16:44:11 PS This page intentionally left blank 5 1 You’ve Gotta Love the Game The question is: Which comes first, enjoying the game or playing it well? I believe the golfer who drives into the parking lot anticipating a good time can’t help but play well most of the time. There’s something to be said for optimism and a carefree spirit. 1 Corey Pavin, 1995 U.S. Open champion The object of this book is not to offer false hope or promise of an instant cure for every leadership ill you have experienced or may experience in the future. No long-hidden secrets will be revealed. In truth, the only secret to playing a better leadership game is that there is ‘‘no secret at all.’’ There is no shortcut to improvement just as there are no shortcuts to playing a better game of golf. If you want to become a more effective leader, take to heart and 9 10589$ $CH1 02-23-04 16:44:15 PS . we play the leadership course. The game of golf is a test of the individual. So is the game of leadership. Success at golf or leadership rests on the application. for many, and the numbers keep increasing. Golf is a near perfect metaphor for leadership. The game of golf and the game of leadership both offer chal-