Instead of developing their technical abilities in management and leadership, some “clumsy” leaders develop their leadership advantage in the softer skills and attributes. Many become “Cavalier” Leaders:

The Cavalier

The consummate performer – the true exhibitionist of the game, these players like to shape their shots as much as possible and work the ball towards the target. How the shot, and they, look is important. This is the player who says “watch this“ as they carve a beautiful shot around a tree and over the water onto the green. Others do this occasionally, with luck, but these players thrive on it. They like to wow the crowd and fellow players and are the shot-makers of the game.

The Cavalier leader is the ‘show-off’ of the leadership world – not necessarily egotistically, but because it motivates them. Often, they will stun the audience with acts of derring-do and controversial behaviours. These leaders enjoy the limelight and are more frequently in the press.

• Cavalier golfers include: Lee Trevino, Corey Pravin and Chi Chi Rodriguez
• Cavalier leaders include: Richard Branson, Ken Lay, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart

Some “clumsy” leaders develop how they DO leadership (their technical competencies) and their leadership advantage attributes and the ‘soft’ skills and they become “Conjuror” leaders:

The Conjuror

These golfers find excitement in difficult lies, thoroughly enjoy being tested in the rough, or an impossible shot between the trees. They excel in the bunker, and become easily bored with routine fairway shots. They gather their wits before a troublesome shot and have marvellous imagination which they are very capable of transferring directly into their game. About half of the conjurors like to show-off, whilst the other, quieter half, like to core well.

The conjuror leader triumphs over adversity again and again. Seemingly intent on making their own lives difficult and forever deliberately putting themselves and their teams into new challenges.

• Golf player conjurors include: Seve Balesteros, Tom Watson, Phil Micelson
• Conjuror leaders include: Herb Kelleher, Hank Greenberg, Michael Eisner

The next group of leaders in this middle range of attribute development are the “Craftsmen”. Most often they have first developed to being “Conjurors” and then begin to excel in their leadership actions. 

The Craftsman

The clear headed technical player, deeply aware of their swing. Knowing their game intimately. These golfers, rehearse and practice even during a round – working on particular aspects of their game that needs attention.

This player excels when tinkering with the minutai details of how to play a particular shot. These players prefer a low stress game, hitting the fairway just right, and onto the green all day will suit them just fine. Quiet and concentrate more on scoring than exhibition, these are solid players and maintain a consistent game.

The Craftsman leader similarly likes a smooth-running business where they can constantly and continuously improve aspects of their business in incremental steps. The Craftsman leader invites you to examine their work, highlighting the intricate detail and fine product.

• Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Ben Crane, Charles Howell III
• Gordone Bethune, Andy Grove, Sandy Weill

Leaders (and golfers) who focus their development on the softer skills and leadership attributes to a much greater extent are in our next group.

We all start at the bottom left corner. “Clumsy”!

I hear often about “natural born leaders” – usually from the same people who believe that leadership cannot be developed (and when I dig deeper, I find that these same people are not ‘natural born leaders’ and cannot be bothered to put in the effort to actually develop their leadership thus, leadership is ‘natural’ becomes the excuse.)

Let me put my stake in the ground here.

No-one is a born leader!

You are born as a baby. You are not born as the CEO of megacorp inc.

Do some individuals seem to show their leadership attributes and abilities more easily than others… sure they do. Just as some people have better hand-eye coordination and find sports easier to excel at. Some are great musicians. Now if you can find one person who is a ‘born leader’ who had never ever developed themselves, practiced and is a truly good leader I will eat 3 golf balls for my lunch.

Now, got that off my chest. We all start as “Clumsy” leaders – clumsy golfers too. A few leaders remain clumsy. They possess little of the technical aptitude of doing leadership, and little of the mindset or attributes of being a leader. If you are young, this is perfectly acceptable. If you are new to a formal leadership role, this is acceptable. But, if you are the leader of a country, it is not really acceptable.

• It was not that difficult to think of a famous ‘clumsy’ leader. The first that cam to my mind was George W. Bush. Now of course, this could be utterly wrong. He was indeed the president of the United States. And some claim that he was actually very bright and intelligent. Somehow though, for me, his actions were, well, clumsy. His mind set and attitude. Sometimes belligerent, and often, ‘sixpence short of a shilling’. It is possible that George W. was in fact incredibly bright, intelligent and such a great leader that had he been born into another family, perhaps one that didn’t have quite so much oil for breakfast that he would have still aspired to and achieved the incredible heights of leader of the USA… or perhaps he got the job because he was a useful front man?
• Clumsy golfers? There are plenty. None that I know of who are famous though. Why would Ben from my local club be known to you when he takes 7 swings to strike a ball, and about 300 strokes to complete a round… on the 5 hole executive course?

No-one likes to remain clumsy. You have a choice.

1. Give up
2. Learn how to do it

And the most common form of leadership (and golf) development, is learning how to DO it.

So, the clumsy leader buys a few leadership books… 7 Habits, Dummies Guide to leadership. The favourite during the 90’s of course was to go get an MBA.

The Coarse Leader

With some technical development in the DOING of leadership, you become a “Coarse” leader.

This leader is actually more manager than ‘leader’. Often process oriented, this person finds the rule book and sometimes throws it. Coarse leaders can be very very effective. The armed forces are filled with coarse leaders. They can shout louder to get things done. And , when struggling to communicate, the most effective action is to raise the voice. Forceful gesticulations and arm movements enable the coarse leader to vent some frustrations.

• Coarse leaders abound. You’ve met at least one in the past month. The more extreme politicians tend to be coarse leaders. Trading floors overflow with them. In business, pre-dominantly male, high testosterone, almost brilliant.
• Coarse golfers also abound. Few are famous. John Daley has his moments, though in recent years he’s calmed somewhat. The loud mouthed club golfer – often seen driving a Porsche.

The Conqueror

On the golf course, this player dominates. Blasting a drive as far as possible brings great joy. The conqueror plays to shorten every hole and every shot – going for broke every time. Often an exhibitionist player and like to brag about their prowess.

Long carries over water whet the conquerors appetite – long par 5’s with a copse on the dogleg right to over-fly bring pulses of energy and make the endorphins flow.

As a leader, the conqueror revels in adversity and challenge, is technically excellent and seldom backs out of a confrontation if offered. The more impossible others consider the position, the more the conqueror defies the odds. They want results, and they want them now. Excuses will bring wrath, and success will bring a new challenge. Seldom satisfied with the result, it can always be better.

• Golf players who are conquerors include: Greg Norman, Bubba Watson, Arnold Palmer, Sam Sneed
• Famous leader conquerors include: Margaret Thatcher, Carly Fiorina, Lee Ka Shing, John Chambers, Michael Dell, David Johnson

So how did you come out in our quiz?

Leadership and golf share a lot more in common than most people realise.

Many golfers take up the game, in part, because it is known as the sport of business people – it is an especially good means of networking and developing relationships, so is there a commonality between the way people play the game and the way they behave at work – our research and observation shows that there is:

There are nine main ‘styles’ of playing golf with a corresponding leadership style – the 9Cs of Golf and Leadership Style. 

By ‘style’, I do not mean to refer to an individual’s personality or their innate character as though this were true. I am, instead, referring to the way in which you perform at your best and most naturally – which may represent your true personality – best to ask your spouse or a close friend who knows you in many other situations as well. This is your paradigm.

We’ll consider each of the paradigm styles in turn, pointing out the dominant characteristics displayed and consider a few well known players and business leaders who fit each style. Your job is to identify your own style amongst these nine – finding the one which most accurately matches your approach to the game of golf, and your approach to leadership.

This isn’t about choosing the style you think that you ‘should’ have, or would like to have. This is about understanding where you are now, and knowing that if you play in this style, or lead with this style, it will be the most comfortable. Later you can consider how to compensate for the weaknesses in your own game and, of course, in your leadership.

Your leadership paradigm style is the combination of your technical competency (how well you do the leadership Abilities) and your leadership advantage (have developed the Attributes).