Golf, life, leadership
A course of choices.
A way of living.
My golf
I am an amateur golfer. Over time, golf has become an integral part of who I am. I recognise life in its course: the phases that unfold, the difficulties to face, the wins to welcome and the chance to begin again.
The course brings me back to the relationship between what I want and what I can do now. It asks for attention, judgement and honesty. It reminds me that a decision has consequences and that each new situation calls for fresh attention.
My connections with leadership grow from this personal experience: opportunities to practise abilities that I also bring to the way I lead and work with others.
From the course to leadership
Awareness of context
Every shot begins with real conditions: the position of the ball, the ground, the wind and the distance. The result I want has to meet what is in front of me.
I find the same responsibility in leadership: observe before deciding. A strategy makes sense when it recognises the resources, constraints and possibilities of the moment.
Strategy and risk
The most spectacular shot does not always open the best route. Choosing means considering what I can do, the risk I accept and what comes next.
Leadership calls for a similar assessment: holding ambition and sustainability together. Prudence can be an active choice when it preserves the ability to keep going.
Responsibility and resilience
A poor shot changes the situation. Frustration is understandable, but the next shot starts where the ball is now.
For me, this is a lesson in responsibility: acknowledge what happened, understand what I can learn and choose the next possible step. Dwelling on a mistake can consume the attention needed to begin again.
Patience and focus
A round has its own rhythm. There are pauses, bursts of pace, favourable moments and difficult stretches. Each phase asks us to be present, without expecting a single shot to solve everything.
In life and at work, patience means giving things the time they need to develop, while continuing to take care over today’s actions and choices.
Integrity and respect
On the course, our relationship with the rules, other people and the place where we play is part of the experience. Personal responsibility remains even when no one is watching.
I recognise the same principle in leadership: consistency in behaviour, respect for other people’s time and contributions, and care for what I leave to those who come after me.
Perspective and learning
The satisfaction of a good shot matters. So does recognising progress, a clearer decision or a challenge met with a different attitude.
For me, winning has several dimensions. Valuing what works helps me understand how to continue, with gratitude for the journey and respect for what remains to be learned.
The phases, the challenges, the wins
There are moments to move forward and others to pause and read the situation more carefully. There are mistakes to acknowledge and results to celebrate. I care about how I move through these phases.
Golf invites me to hold ambition and humility together. I can prepare, choose and take responsibility for my shot. I can also accept that the course has something to teach me.
This is what I bring to my idea of leadership: offer direction, care for people and stay willing to learn.
Where the journey meets the vision
A personal reflection on golf. Integrity, consideration for others and care for the course also feature in the spirit of the game set out in R&A Rule 1.
An open mind. A considered direction.