(Human resources) Better leadership roles

What do the following people have in common: George W. Bush, Peyton Manning, Ken Melrose, Kris and Dave Carpenter, and yourself?

They’re leaders. Bush is the president of the United States, Manning is the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts, Melrose is chairman and c.e.o. of The Toro Co., the Carpenters are parents of two children, and you, a reader, are likely a golf course superintendent or involved in the golf industry.

The message is that we’re all leaders. But is leadership important? For the first three people listed above, it’s obvious. But what about the Carpenters? Think about the difference between success and failure for the Carpenters as leaders of their family: a harmonious, nurturing family environment versus a hostile, destructive environment. Think of the impact on the lives – presently and in the future – of all members of the family.

What about you? The leadership of your golf course business or maintenance staff will determine its success or failure. So how can you be a more effective leader? Consider six roles you have as a leader:
• Commander;
• Conductor;
• Team builder;
• Supervisor and coach;
• Motivator and cheerleader; and
• Promoter and spokesman.

You possess each of these roles at two levels. First, you’re responsible for maintenance of the golf course or your enterprise. Second, you’re a member of a formal or informal team that’s responsible for the totality of the course, club or business. Your leadership responsibilities at this level are often less clear, less formal and more frustrating. They are, however, no less important. Think of ways you can contribute to the leadership of your course, club or business as you consider these roles.

Commander. Think about the captain or commander of a ship. Similarly, you have a crucial role as the captain or commander of your golf course or business. The ship’s captain steers a course that stays away from dangers such as shallow or turbulent waters and provides a safe, enjoyable journey. You must steer your course or business in a direction that avoids being blindsided by changes in the recreation and business environment, meets and exceeds the expectations of golfers or other customers and provides a great workplace for everyone associated with the course. Your commander responsibilities include understanding the world around you, setting business and course direction (compelling vision and strategy), fashioning the culture of the business and establishing the rules of which you and your staff will live.

Golf course superintendents should work with club or course leadership – member/municipal boards/committees, owners, the golf professional, the club manager – to establish the direction of the club or course and the golf course maintenance role in that direction. Then they must establish and communicate the implementation plans for this direction back to the leadership and maintenance staff.

Conductor. Picture the conductor of an orchestra, your local high school marching band or your child’s band or choir. This person must select the right person for each position and then orchestrate exactly when each member plays his part. Similarly, in your conductor role, you must select the right person for each position – a great fairway mower might not be as good at cutting cups.

You also must direct assignments, flow of people and tasks. It’s the leader’s responsibility to see that each person is assigned the roles and tasks that best match his or her talents, skills, experience, interests and the needs of the course or business. Orchestrating your staff provides spectacular playing conditions for golfers and enables your business to prosper.

Success of the golf course superintendent in the conductor role requires excellence in recruitment and selecting the right people, insight and flexibility to match people and positions, and removing people who don’t fit the operation.
Team builder. Think about sports. Does the team with the most talented players always win? No. Winning sports teams must have talent and work together as a team. Success requires the totality of the team’s accomplishments exceed what the individuals could have accomplished alone. You must instill a commitment to an outcome, goal or vision and a team spirit in which everyone strives to meet team and individual goals. Highly successful teams have leaders with high expectations, a lot of skill and patience to train and develop team members, and a passion for and loyalty to the team. A key to success in this role is to recognize that time spent developing a strong team is a valuable use of one’s time.

Supervisor and coach. Leaders soon realize their success depends on the people they lead and supervise. In your role as supervisor and coach, you must nurture the employee’s self motivation, be clear about performance expectations, provide abundant feedback and continually provide opportunities for the employee to develop. Supervisory skills – like turfgrass skills – are mastered through learning and experience. In this role, there’s a lot of time spent listening to employees and time spent providing high-quality performance feedback.

Motivator and cheerleader. A leader sets the tone or establishes the culture for the golf course or business. A leader nurtures morale, commitment and motivation. A leader also is the motivator for the course’s or business’ work force. This role requires a leader to be positive, upbeat and proactive, even in difficult times. A leader, as motivator and cheerleader, must always remember that words influence our attitudes and the attitudes of those around us, and those attitudes influence our actions.

Promoter and spokesman. A leader is the face of a golf facility or business to the outside world – golfers, customers, potential customers, vendors, employees, neighbors and members of the community. This role is becoming increasingly crucial as environmental, social and political issues become more important. In addition to being a promoter and spokesman for a golf facility, the superintendent is a promoter and spokesman for the importance of extraordinary golf course maintenance.

You can be a great leader, so make plans to increase your success in the role you have. GCN

Robert A. Milligan, Ph.D., is professor emeritus from Cornell University and senior consultant with Madison, Wis.-based Dairy Strategies. He can be reached at 651-647-0495 or rmilligan@trsmith.com.