Every game of golf, every course, every hole is different; as is how we play it each time.  Sometimes we hit the ball well; other times we struggle on the same course where we previously enjoyed success.  As in leadership, every situation is different.  The weather, the course conditions and even how we play that day are never identical.  We don't shoot the same score or hit every shot the same every time we play a course.  The situation is always different.

Similarly, no two leadership challenges are ever the same.  There are different sets of circumstances, different individuals who may be impacted and different ideas on how to solve the situation.  But as golfers and leaders, we must continue to make the necessary changes for improvement.

Most golfers, while they may feel satisfied with their score, strive for that perfect game.  To me that would be to play par for the course.  I haven't accomplished that yet, and very few non-professional golfers do.  Yet we strive to make the necessary changes for improvement.  We make changes, but after a while fall back to our old habits.  It's like attending a leadership workshop.  We come out inspired to make the changes that will improve our leadership or management, but eventually revert back to our old habits.  Change does not come easy.  That's why coaching and getting people to make positive changes to enhance or improve their leadership skills is not a one-time process, but a process that the Coachee learns over time. The Coach is there to help them learn and hold them accountable.

The key to change is to be dissatisfied with a current situation; whether it's our drives off the tee, our iron shots or our putting.  In leadership, it can be our style of leading, our communication skills, our performance or how we keep our team working as one unit.  If we think we have reached the perfect situation, then we stop learning and stop changing.  Once we become comfortable we lose our effectiveness, our sense of dissatisfaction, our sense of urgency.  We no longer care if we shoot a lower score and we do not try to improve our game.  We get comfortable in our leadership position and the job becomes mundane and routine without innovation and change.

The key to making change is having a reason and the emotional will.  What is the reason you want to improve your putting, or why do you want to be a better communicator?  Accepting the desire to change can be risky.  Nothing guarantees that the change you seek to make will result in making you a better golfer or a better leader.  That is why they call it leadership.  Otherwise, you will be a follower and not a leader.

Making change requires the emotional will, a commitment and the ability to focus.  You will experience fear, anger and joy; sometimes all at the same time.  My clients or their employers hire me as their Coach to teach them to determine what changes need to be made, how to best make that happen and to hold them accountable to make the change lasting.  There can be coaching, but without commitment it will not be successful.  Commitment is necessary in the cycle of change.

To make change we must review your current situation.  Then we need to develop a personal commitment to make the necessary changes.  This will require vision and an alignment to achieving that vision.  Once we have that vision in place, we have to learn new skills or improve current ones.  Next, we have to perform or take action and stay the course until we achieve our vision.  Sounds like the nine holes we've been playing.

As we finish our round we can learn the final lesson.  Change, like golf, is mostly an individual effort.  It is up to us.  We can't have an attitude that we can't change until others change, or until the boss changes, or until the company or other circumstances change.  It's up to us to stay motivated, to keep accurate score, to process improvement and to maintain emotional intelligence.  It's about character and competence, and about whom we are and what we can do.

Golf teaches us that the only thing we can really do is improve our own game because that is the only thing we have control over.  Ghandi said "Be the change you wish to see in others."  If you change yourself others will follow.

As we end our golf game and head to the clubhouse, I hope you don't focus on what your score was but on whether you gave it your best effort.  All we can do is our best.  If we want to do better, and most of us do, then we have to put the changes in place that will get us where we want to go.  Whether it's breaking 100, 90 or 80, set your sights on your goal and stay the course.

Thanks for an enjoyable nine holes of golf and leadership.  If you know of anyone who wants to make changes in their leadership skills or management style, ask them to contact me. I can help make the changes they desire to go from where they are to where they want to be.

Take care.