What the Golf Course Can Teach You About Leadership and Business Relationships

According to a study, executives rate golf as the #1 sport for networking, with 90% of Fortune 500 CEOs playing regularly.

You can learn more about a person in four hours on a golf course than in four months of meetings..  It’s a place where egos collide with bunkers, tempers get tested by three-putts and true character is on full display.  Golf is a reflection of who we are as human beings, and how we interact with each other.  In the business context, there may be significant commercial stakes involved not in contractual terms but whether the customer and supplier can work and support each other’s financial interests.

In this context, the golf course is the venue to prove if these arrangements are feasible.  The game of golf is bigger than any potential commercial relationship so approaching or hosting a customer should be an easy task, since at the end of the day, the game of golf is going to reveal the personalities of the participants.

Lead with Honesty  

The old wives’ tale postulates that golf is a critical skill to business development and potential sales occur on the golf course. A secondary norm is that the salesman or company executive should always allow the customer to win irrespective of the skill of the players. Sometimes winning can be accomplished by using the handicap system to give the customer enough strokes to win the competition easily.  Other times, the company salesperson might just “unfortunately” whack a ball or two out of bounds to ensure customer victory—“make sure you lose to the customer.”

Golf is a game meant to be played honestly, and the handicap system enables players of different or similar skill sets to play competitively. Playing the game to lose deliberately to curry favor with a potential customer is disrespectful to the client by demeaning their own ability and potential. In a sense, it’s also a black mark against your own personal integrity especially if the customer becomes suspicious of what is going on.

Deliberately throwing a game to curry favor isn’t just insulting to the customer, it undermines the integrity of both the game and the relationship. Golf, like business, should be grounded in honesty and mutual respect.

Adapt with Grace  

Sometimes you are pressed into an uncertain business setting that becomes a completely different experience than what was expected. In this instance you have to adapt to the circumstances with the common understanding of being yourself and not try to “step out of your shoes.”  One experience I had in Japan is noteworthy: I had the reputation of being a “good” player with my company and the Japanese customer decided to set up a golf match with one of their senior executives, who was also touted to be a very good player. The golf outing was turning into a serious match, which I had not expected. It seemed that the Japanese customer wanted me to get “trounced” by their executive. There was a sense in the air that this match was going to be a serious competition and not a relationship building “walk in the park.” I decided that I would simply do my best and not succumb to the pressure of the situation as I won the match handily playing better than usual despite being at an unknown private course in Japan.  I demonstrated humility in victory complementing my competitor and ended up developing a very positive relationship with the executive and the company.

Lead with Empathy 

An experience during a round with a top AT&T executive at the notoriously difficult Spyglass Hill became more than just a lesson.

I took an AT&T senior executive to Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California. AT&T was a very significant customer and I believed it was very important to show this guy a good time. Spyglass Hill is a seriously tough golf course and the toughness starts on the very first hole. Unfortunately, my guest’s struggle with Spyglass would begin with the opening tee shot that went flying as a horrible slice into the driving range on the right. The next 15 minutes would prove to be pure horror as he mashed a bunch of cringe-worthy shots. The second and third holes would prove to be no better and his frustration and aggravation was beginning to mount. I merely told him that the opening patch of Spyglass was difficult for everybody, and good things were about to happen. He simply had to get used to this environment, and I prayed that things were about to improve. I stayed empathetic and indifferent to the carnage going on around me, and I truly believed that he appreciated my attitude while enabling him to focus a bit better. The gods of golf answered my prayers on the par 3, 5th hole whereby he flushed a six iron onto the green and made par. The look of anger and give up disappeared from his face and a pleasant smile emerged as I congratulated him for his two-putt par.

The game went from “I think I’m going to quit” to a very pleasant, “all right” as he proceeded to play decent golf for the rest of that day. Respect and empathy for his plight on the opening holes paved the way for what turned out to be a good experience.

The Bottom Line 

At the end of the day, your behavior on the course reflects the same qualities that make for successful business relationships, integrity, adaptability, empathy, and respect. Play your best, be yourself, and let character (not performance) leave the lasting impression.

Written by Joseph Bronson.
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