There were reportedly near three quarters of a million people in attendance last weekend at the Waste Management Phoenix Open played in Scottsdale, Arizona. That is a large audience. Imagine the pressure on the players. Add to that the behavior of that gallery and you have a very challenging environment in which to perform. There are few if any tournaments where the crowd is as noisy and inconsiderate of shot-taking time as at the Phoenix Open. Some players say they love the environment. If honest, I am not certain all would agree. Particularly since other tournaments become silent when it is time to take a shot. Concentration must be difficult and an absolute must for success during those matches.
And isn’t that how life can be sometimes. As a leader, you probably have experienced disruptive environments that were both high profile and chaotic and you are still expected to make rational, wise decisions and keep your team motivated throughout the process. As a parent, you have undoubtedly been in situations where all heck is breaking loose, and you still must behave as a good parent should. As a salesperson, you have experienced year-end pressure where you felt as if your head would explode at any moment, but the only thing people noticed was whether you made your number.
If you have ever read Golf’s Sacred Journey by Dr. David L. Cook, you know that he has a checklist for success in both golf and life and they are the same. That checklist contains three directives: see it, feel it, and trust it. Those seem to be simple enough, but not much is as simple as it may appear.
1. See it
Vision is an irrefutable essential of leadership. If you can’t see it, how can you follow it or pursue it? To want to achieve or attain a goal you must envision yourself accomplishing that. The former world number one golfer, Jason Day visualizes every shot and I doubt he sees himself shanking or hitting into a water hazard. To be a good leader, you must see yourself as a good leader. If you have that vision is highly likely that you have a spirit of leadership. That is a basis for leadership success. You must want to be one. If you want that, you can be it! Leaders are made – not born. Leaders first must have a spirit or desire to lead and then they can learn to lead. In the old testament book of Numbers when Moses was getting very old (well over a 100 at the time) God sent him a message about whom his replacement would be. He told him that “Joshua…a man in whom is the spirit of leadership.” That was 1400 years BC.
Sometimes what we see is an illusion. Illusions are false appearances or false beliefs. Being disillusioned therefore is a positive thing. It hopefully provides reality, truth and clear vision to a situation. For example, if you have developed the illusion that continuing to do as you have been while expecting different results, you need to be disillusioned so you can “see it” (reality) clearly.
Hopefully, your disillusionment will help transition you into a new growth-oriented normal where you can “see it” in your mind’s eye so it may occur.
2. Feel it
With the vision within you and the desire to take a different path to success for yourself, you can begin the process of “continuous improvement” or work toward mastery. First, you must step out of your comfort zone with a commitment to the initiative. As you do that, you will feel the difference. Your thoughts will change, how you see things will change and how you interact with others will change. We ALL have a gap between where we are today and the ideal. Why? It’s that one sure thing we all have in common – none of us are perfect. So, get out of your comfort zone, into the game and close the gap.
3. Trust it.
There are few if any guarantees in this life (save perhaps paying taxes and then dying). So, how do you proceed with an initiative with your full passion? The hope and confidence are in the results of seeing and then diving into the process. That will build trust it can work. Remember, leaders, are not born, but made. Neither are winners nor achievers. That means that growth is a process that improves with commitment. To think there will be no stumbles along this path is just another illusion. Remember one more thing: the difference between average and achieving people is how they deal with failure. Witnessing or experiencing growth in action will help build trust and keep you moving even when the going is difficult.