First a quote: “If better is possible, than good is not enough.” – Bill Rupp, former beef industry executive
This morning I’m dipping into the world of sports, specifically the game of golf, for the focus of today’s leadership lessons. If you’re a non-sportsperson, or non-golfer, I ask for your willingness to go along for the ride using golf as a metaphor. It will be short and easy to translate into your own field of expertise.
My starting point is: The differences between “good” and “absolutely great” are often surprisingly small. I propose this tends to be true in all aspects of our lives, including our roles as leaders, parents, spouses, friends, athletes of all kinds, and yes, even as golfers.
Before talking about golf, let’s think about contrasting experiences someone might have at two different restaurants. Please think about two restaurants in which you have recently dined; ideally, one was a “good” experience, and the other was an “absolutely great” experience.
Now, identify the specific differences between the two experiences which contributed to your opinions about those two restaurants. While perhaps similar in price, format, and cuisine, why would you describe one restaurant as “good,” and the other as “memorably great?”
I predict the differences you’ve identified between the two restaurants, while perhaps numerous, were not “monumental issues” when looked upon as individual items. In most cases, the opposite is likely true; the differences are usually a small number of “little things” in a couple of key areas that are important to you.
For instance, perhaps both wait staffs provided service that was both prompt and friendly, but only at one restaurant was your water glass never empty. Or maybe both establishments prepared wonderful food options with exquisite flavor, served fresh and hot, but only one of the two presented plates with impressive artistic flare… the food looked as good as it tasted.
Now take a moment to reflect on the predicted results and ultimate success of those same two restaurants. Which restaurant are you most likely to go back to? Refer to friends? Which do you predict will be in business longer? I submit, “little things” and attention to detail matter.
Not only is this true for restaurants, but it also tends to be important when people select their preferred grocery store, automobile, doctor, phone, dentist, or hairdresser to name a few. I might boldly suggest, small differences also matter to the customers in your industry as well.
Now, on to the golfing metaphor. In a nod to a broader, more inclusive non-golfing audience, I’m using famous golfers who tend to be well known throughout much of the world. Those golfers are Tiger Woods and Phil (Lefty) Mickelson.
Clearly, Tiger and Phil are two of the greatest golfers to ever play the game. Yet, when you compare their average golf scores with those of other professional golfers, the differences in their golf scores are, surprisingly small.
“Small differences in performance often yield huge differences in results and outcomes.”
In the 2000 season, Tiger averaged 67.89 strokes per round of golf. Phil Mickelson achieved the second-best score in the PGA with an average score of 69.25 per round.
Imagine, after an entire season, consisting of hundreds of rounds of golf for each, the difference in Tiger and Phil’s average score was less than a stroke and a half. That amounts to a 0.08 stoke difference, per hole, on average! An incredibly incremental difference in performance. I repeat for emphasis:
“Small differences in performance often yield huge differences in results and outcomes.”
But now, let’s examine what that small difference in performance meant, in terms of financial outcomes. While the difference in performance may be small, the outcomes were not. Tiger earned a whopping $9.2 million in 2000 from the game of golf, without even factoring in his endorsements.
Phil Mickelson earned $4.8 million, only slightly more than half of what Tiger earned, even though their performance varied by less than 0.1 stokes per hole, when averaged over the entire season. The differences between good and great are often surprisingly small. The average annual differential of 1.36 stokes per round cost Phil Mickelson almost $5 million.
To the casual observer, it would be difficult to determine exactly what made Tiger a better golfer that year. And yet, there was obviously a difference. Was it consistency? Club selection? Strategy? Skill? Mental focus? Perhaps a combination of those things?
(Please note: PGA golfers don’t always play in the same tournaments, or the same number of tournaments. While those factors play a role in the comparisons above, I submit the lessons implied here still apply even with those exceptions.)
My argument is those small differences also exist when it comes to differentiating between good leadership and great leadership. While it might be difficult to ascertain exactly what those differences are, they do exist. And I submit the results are often dramatically different when comparing the results of good and great leaders.
So, what lessons can we learn from these examples?
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Good enough is never good enough – as leaders, we should always be seeking to learn, grow, and improve. As the world continues to become more complex and changing at an ever-increasing rate, so must our leadership abilities. We must not settle for being a good leader with average abilities. As Bill Rupp shares in the quote above, “If better is possible, than good is not enough.” I submit here that “better” is always possible.
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Think tweaking and fine -tuning, not major overhauls – The good news is that if we’re already doing “good things” as leaders, then we’re really talking about making minor enhancements and continual improvements in how we lead.
For example:
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In what ways can I be a better listener today?
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Can I be more proactive, and strategic, than I was yesterday?
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How can I better support my team this coming week?
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With whom can I be a better coach this week? Who needs encouragement today?
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How can our team improve the effectiveness of our meetings?
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In what ways can I communicate with more clarity and impact?
I’m not a mathematician, but my friends at CMOE taught me that if we were to become 3/10 of one percent more effective every day for the next five years, we might accomplish 1,600% more than we are today. That also means you would be 22 times more effective than you are today. Just imagine those results might look like in your field of expertise.
It is extremely important for all of us to continually improve our leadership skills and techniques. Small improvements in our approach to leadership do matter. Even small enhancements in a limited number of critical areas, such as your coaching skills or strategic thinking abilities, can yield dramatic differences in your team’s performance and expected outcomes, now and in the future.
Related articles:
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Have a good week!
And, as always, how will you live, love, or lead, differently, or better, this coming week?
Bryan Yager
“Expanding Your Capacity for Success”
Bonus Quotes:
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“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” – Max De Pree
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“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
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“And from the discontent of man, the world’s best progress springs.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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“The secret of life is to be grateful for the many benefits you’ve received and dissatisfied with how many you’ve provided.” – Dr. Mardy
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“Practice the philosophy of continuous improvement. Get a little bit better every single day.” – Brian Tracy
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“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. ” – Mark Twain
