80 Golf and the Game of Leadership over. Don was hired and served the club in outstanding fashion until his retirement following the Inverness-hosted 1993 PGA Championship. Don’s distinction as a Master PGA Professional set him apart from the other applicants for the Inverness job. Today, there are approximately 24,000 PGA club professionals, of which only 250 are designated as Master Professionals. They, like Don Perne, have earned a slight edge. The 2001 United States Open Championship was played at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This annual tournament is open to professional and amateur golfers whose USGA handicap index does not exceed 1.4. The starting field con- sists of 156 players. The majority of the players (89 in 2001) earn their places through 18-hole local qualifying rounds and 36-hole sectional qualifiers. (A total of 8,398 applications were accepted for the 89 nonexempt slots in the 2001 Open field.) The rest of the players (67 in 2001) are exempt from qualifying on the basis of championships won and/or tournament money earned in the previous year. All 156 tournament starters play the first and second 18-hole rounds. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the 60 lowest scores and ties. The U.S. Open champion is the player with the lowest score at the end of 72 holes. If there is a tie, it is played off over 18 holes of stroke play on the day following the end of the tournament. If this also results in a tie, the tied players play hole by hole until a winner is decided. Skill and perhaps some good fortune combine to leave only the champion standing. Golf at the professional level clearly requires a slight edge to finish in a tournament top ten, let alone in first place. Golfers work to develop this slight edge through a dedication to perfecting their skills through countless hours of practice. They know that just a few strokes, often only one or two, are the difference in making a cut, finishing in the top ten, winning, and earning thou- sands of dollars in prize money. Stories abound of golfers finish- ing a tournament round and heading directly to the practice range, where they then work until dark trying to achieve the per- fection in shot-making they demand of themselves. They fully un- derstand the need to develop a slight edge over their opponents. 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:51 PS 81 The Slight Edge One professional is said to end each of his dedicated practice rounds in a unique way. He rings a hole on the practice green with golf balls set about four feet from the cup. When he has successfully putted 100 balls in a row into the cup he quits. Miss one and he starts over! Course Analysis Golf commentators on television are mostly ex-professional golf- ers. They really know the game, the golfers, and the courses played on the various tours. So, it is not surprising that they do an excel- lent job of analyzing, not only the play of the individual golfers, but the golf courses as well. They tell us which are the easiest holes on the course and why. At the same time they indicate that these are the holes each golfer must play well in order to have a chance at making the cut, because these holes provide the best opportuni- ties for birdies, and even eagles. Play these holes poorly and the odds are that the golfer will be home for the weekend. Play them well and the golfer will probably stay in contention for the tourna- ment lead. The analysts also point out the holes that offer the most chal- lenge, and therefore the most reward, for those who play them well along with playing the easier ones well. So, the slight edge goes to the combination of playing the easier holes very well, the equivalent of our holes one through six, and adding good play over the more difficult holes, the equivalent of those remaining on our Global Leadership Course. If you strive to be the best leader you can be, regardless of your position in the organizational hierarchy, developing the slight edge, i.e., being in the upper percentiles of effective leaders, requires dedication and hard work. The development path for excellence in playing the leadership game is no different from the path demanded of the golfer who seeks to be among the best. Your values, adherence to the rules, vision, posture, grip, and alignment give you a leadership foundation. Learning from your leadership experiences provides valuable development opportuni- 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:51 PS 82 Golf and the Game of Leadership ties. But it takes sustained extra effort to build the slight edge demonstrated by the best. Let’s look at a few examples. A Slight Edge on the Odds for Survival Bill Niehous was the general manager of Owens-Illinois Inc.’s Venezuelan operations in the mid-1970s. He was kidnapped by an anti-government radical communist group and was held captive in the jungles of Venezuela for three years. Bill’s captivity caused great pain to his family and friends. In most similar circum- stances, the captives had been killed by their captors. Bill Niehous lived to tell about his experience following a successful escape attempt. How did Bill Niehous manage to survive until his eventual return to freedom? Well, I always tell people you would get a good idea if you knew him. Bill speaks Spanish and that certainly was part of his slight edge. Even more, his genuine liking and respect for others, his desire to help and be helpful, a personality that warms you on contact, his ability to be patient and control his emotions, and his great courage in the face of adversity gave him more than a slight edge on the odds for survival. Following his return and later retirement from O-I, Bill Niehous has served a wide variety of community efforts—always in an outstanding fashion. All who know him, admire him. And, he loves the game of golf. We’ll hear from Bill when we play hole ࠻17. On Arrival A marketing manager recently flew to London via British Airways. The flight was scheduled to land at London’s Heathrow Airport. However, due to a labor dispute on the ground the plane was unable to land as scheduled. The flight circled for a time, then was diverted to Stansted Airport where it landed and remained on the runway for a period of time, after which it took off and landed at Heathrow. The delay in Heathrow arrival lasted about 90 minutes. Nothing unusual to this point for those of us experienced in air travel. 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:52 PS 83 The Slight Edge However, our marketing manager was impressed. Specifically, she was very surprised how the plane’s captain announced the problems of landing at Heathrow. He did not use the standard method of an announcement over the plane’s speaker system. In- stead, he came into the passenger cabin and made the announce- ment in person, and in a very personal way, by making his comments in a conversational manner every ten rows or so until he had informed everyone and responded to any questions. And he didn’t do this just once, but he repeated the process five times during the ninety-minute delay. The marketing manager commented, ‘‘I could feel the impact of the captain’s actions in the plane cabin. People were obviously calmed and put at ease about the situation. He demonstrated his understanding that the passengers deserved both an explanation and his help in adapting to the delay in arriving at their destina- tion. I was impressed by his leadership.’’ On Departure After a week in London, our marketing manager was back at Hea- throw Airport on a Monday morning to make the return flight to New York. The labor dispute of the previous week had been set- tled. She arrived at the British Airways counter at 8 .. to check- in for her 12:15 .. departure. It is always a good practice to allow plenty of time for check-in on international flights. How- ever, she along with others in the processing line were told they would have to wait until 9:30 to be processed. Naturally she thought to herself, ‘‘Here we go again.’’ Yes, but then again, no, as instead of the usual ‘‘come back at 9:30, you’re on your own till then’’ there was more to the an- nouncement. There was a surprise for the British Airways custom- ers. All of the waiting passengers were directed to a Quonset hut set up by the airline and asked to go there and relax until 9:30. They were served coffee, tea, and rolls, and provided with com- fortable seating. And British Airways people actually asked if there was anything else that might be done to make the wait as enjoy- able as possible. 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:52 PS 84 Golf and the Game of Leadership Our marketing manager, reflecting on this experience, said: ‘‘I spent three more hours waiting before I was processed. But the British Airways people kept coming around with updates for us and to check that everything was okay. And they were so genuine in the way they did it. Once again, I was really impressed. British Airways, based on my experience, knows what it means to work for a ‘‘slight edge’’ on the competition. They get my vote.’’ It is not just physical ability or physical characteristics that bring about greatness. In golf, and in leadership, it’s about having a passion for the game, being an intense competitor, having a great desire to come out on top, being concerned with what deci- sions get made, focusing on substance and reality rather than on symbolism and wishful thinking, being willing to work hard, and having the integrity to play by the rules. Greatness comes from within! What plus How Today’s effective leader must be a ‘‘leader of the business’’ and, even more importantly, a leader of the people. He or she must know what it is that must be accomplished and what needs to be done to ensure successful accomplishment of organizational objectives. The vast majority of leaders understand and aggres- sively pursue this aspect of leadership, which I call the WHAT. They know WHAT to do. Far too many don’t really understand the HOW. They don’t know HOW to get it done. A ‘‘leader of the people’’ knows how to get it done. This is where you want to develop your slight edge. Orchestrate the ef- forts of your people, utilize and expand their personal capabilities to the fullest, and marry their efforts together to achieve the opti- mum results. Does this sound like the golfer who knows WHAT is required to play a successful round of golf but must also know HOW to get it done using the tools in his or her golf bag? You bet! Speaking of tools in the golf bag, my years of experience have taught me that we all have far greater potential for leadership effectiveness than we are exercising. During the balance of the 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:52 PS 85 The Slight Edge round we’re going to play the tools that with use and perfect prac- tice on your part will make you a better leader, even a great leader, to your benefit and that of those whom you serve. The tools in- clude focus, responsibility, confidence, expectations, courage, rec- ognition, feedback, change, help, and optimism. So You Are Capable—Who Knows It? Leadership and golf require persistence, dedication, and practice in order to achieve maximum success, i.e. the slight edge. It truly takes more than ‘‘who you know’’ to succeed. Rather, it’s ‘‘who knows you and your capabilities.’’ Notice the two parts. You must have capabilities and you need to let them shine through to those in position to evaluate your performance. Too often, people do not ensure that their capabilities are known, and therefore they are not brought into play. Play your best clubs, take your best shots. You should not leave knowledge of them to chance. Show the confidence you have in your leadership skills. Ask for, and readily accept, added responsibilities. Your demonstrated leader- ship performance will win the confidence of others. You will have greater influence in the organization. Your leadership example will rub off on others to their, and the organization’s, benefit. In short, step out of the leadership shadows and into the glow of increased leadership success. Sure, there are exceptions, and some people do advance based on who they know. We love to voice our indignation when this happens. But the truth is that most people get ahead on their merits. They’ve developed a slight edge in performance. Be objec- tive, take a look around. Holes 1 through 6 provide a good foundation for anyone in- terested in playing the leadership game. The remaining holes are designed to challenge you to take advantage of the opportunities available to use your store of potential and develop your personal slight edge and move to the next level in playing the leadership game. Learn to play these holes well. Take their lessons to heart. You will become a more effective leader, you will know it, and so 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:52 PS 86 Golf and the Game of Leadership will everyone else. It will be hard work but you’ll be a champion at the leadership game. Remember the advice Jawaharlal Nehru gave to his daughter, Indira Gandhi, who went on to become Prime Minister of India, like her father: ‘‘There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take credit for it. Be part of the first group, there are fewer of them.’’ Leadership is like a race where you run the first few laps as fast as you can and then gradually increase your speed. FORE! . . . the author Quick Tips for Improving Your Leadership Game Real leaders typically understand and model the following in their day-to-day actions: ■ SMILE MORE! ■ Make it easy for your associates to say, ‘‘Have you got a minute?’’ ■ Acquire the habit of thinking and saying ‘‘we’’ rather than ‘‘I.’’ 10589$ $CH7 02-23-04 16:44:53 PS 5 8 Focus Tiger Woods at this point in history is rated the number one golfer in the world. He has great natural talent but he has a slight edge on much of his competition. It’s his ability to focus. FORE! . . . the author All the great golfers, both present and past, share at least one common ability: the ability to focus. They are able to block out what is going on around them and concentrate fully on the shot facing them. When distracted from their focus they do not plunge ahead anyway but rather begin again to set their focus and execute only when they feel right. In what ranks among the greatest duels in senior golf history, Don Pooley and Tom Watson went head-to-head for 23 holes in the 2002 Senior Open Championship. On the 23rd hole—the 18th hole at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland—Pooley had a 10- 87 10589$ $CH8 02-23-04 16:44:58 PS 88 Golf and the Game of Leadership foot birdie putt to win. He lined it up, addressed the putt, and then backed away. ‘‘My thoughts were going all over the place,’’ Pooley said later, ‘‘I had to stop and get refocused.’’ He then made the winning putt. Vincente Fernandez’s caddie helped Fernandez as he prepared to hit a shot from 93 yards out to the pin at the 18th hole during the third round of the 2003 Senior Open Championship. When they were ready, he said to Vincente, simply, ‘‘concentrate.’’ Fer- nandez put the ball within four feet of the pin, sank the putt for a birdie, and finished the day in a tie for second place. WIN Golfers focus on each shot. Tiger Woods is so good at this that he can stop a shot in mid-swing, a virtual impossibility for most people. Professional golfers need to hit their best shot(s) in order to win tournaments and/or win as much prize money as possible. They know the importance of focusing on ‘‘what’s important now,’’ which in acronym form is ‘‘WIN.’’ Golf scores are improved when golfers focus their energy on what they can do, one shot at a time. They do not focus on what they can’t do or what other golfers can or cannot do. They con- centrate on how they can best improve their opportunity to get the little white ball in the hole in the fewest number of strokes. Golf is a tough game. It is humbling. It is a frustrating game. There are no teammates to pick you up, to take your shot. And there’s no place to hide. Leaders can learn a great deal from watching professional golfers focus in the here and now on the shot immediately facing them. They can also learn from the professional golfer’s focus on the future. Professional golfers do not dwell on yesterday’s round but learn from it. They focus on today’s round in order to shoot the lowest score possible. They think about tomorrow’s round in terms of strategy and scoring objectives. And professional golfers focus on the day after tomorrow, i.e., on the opportunity to play in the final two days of a tournament, on the opportunity to play 10589$ $CH8 02-23-04 16:44:58 PS 89 Focus in tournaments of choice, and on maintaining their eligibility to play on the PGA tour. Theirs is a future success orientation. Leadership in today’s competitive organizational life is stressed by demands for innovation. These demands can be so intense that sometimes leaders take their eyes off solid, well- structured, high-value operations. They’ve been running so well for so long that there is a temptation to pay less attention to them. Leadership takes its eyes off the ball. A Veritable Cash Cow For example, a large automobile manufacturing facility had been successfully building and selling a profit-rich lux- ury model for seven or eight years. Because it was selling so well, and because the initial tooling investment and start- up costs had long since been amortized, the model was a veritable cash cow. Customers were very happy with the product. Dealers continued to serve their repeat custom- ers. Over time there were very few changes to the model. The operation seemed to run itself. After seven to eight years of marketing bliss, some cus- tomer complaints began to surface. The complaints were mostly about nuisance items, such as wind noise, rattles, poorly fitting doors and hoods, and misaligned trim. But management became increasingly concerned: After all this was a luxury model and quality expectations were high. Attempts to fix the causes of customer concerns focused first on the assembly workers. It was assumed the current workers were not assembling the vehicle correctly. New training programs were devised and presented to the as- semblers. But the problems continued to increase. This brought more attention from management, first locally and then from headquarters. Meetings were held, and manag- ers were challenged to ‘‘fix the problem.’’ Incentives were implemented. More training was provided to the assem- blers. 10589$ $CH8 02-23-04 16:44:59 PS . and he starts over! Course Analysis Golf commentators on television are mostly ex-professional golf- ers. They really know the game, the golfers, and the. watching professional golfers focus in the here and now on the shot immediately facing them. They can also learn from the professional golfer’s focus on the future.