The privilege of leading

It feels good to grow and be promoted. Being named the property leader becomes an amazing moment. It is the hope of many who set their sights high in this industry. Becoming the leader of a golf club is an especially unique opportunity. A golf club has several touchpoints, from the sources of revenue, the miracle called agronomy, the connection to the community, and the pieces held together despite weather and other challenges. Yes, there are a variety of balls to juggle, thrust high, and keep in the air. At its core, a golf club is about people. The golfers, the staff, suppliers, community neighbors, and corporate guests who use the club. They are the core focus as the doors are unlocked early each morning.

As the leader, there is responsibility at every turn. Before you can think about the cap ex budget, a new restaurant item, or the decision to add a new tee box on hole #5, appreciate that leadership is a privilege. This is a post I wish I could have read many years ago as a first-time manager. Leading and leadership is about people, always and forever. It is not about cap ex, or the tee box, or a new food item. Those are things on a list. When it comes to people, the story is wide and deep. The narrative is about coaching, listening, and leading with empathy, cheerleading with enthusiasm, and recognition. Who has been your favorite manager? Why?

It is an honor to lead an organization, to help people realize their goals as they work together to create extraordinary hospitality. Feel good about the opportunity. Feel good about the direction, efforts, and successes of each member of your team. In this In My Opinion post, I provide three thoughts about feeling good leading a property. Here are those three thoughts:

Appreciate the size of the opportunity. No matter past successes know there is the chance to grow the club in many ways. From strengthening the current key sources of revenue, as well as from the wider community, and corporate organizations nearby. As you begin to think about the breadth of the community, you are likely to uncover several organizations that can take advantage of your services.

Continue to solidify and grow the core areas of success. It is vital to know how the donuts get made at your property and to nurture and invest in the things that matter to your members and guests. Reinforce this message often to the team.

Most importantly, appreciate the task in front of you. Coaching and leading people is a great responsibility and challenge. It can be the toughest job in the business while being the most rewarding. When you think about the key influencers in your life — the parents, teachers, and coaches who have guided you — appreciate that over any given month, you may be called upon to be all of the above to team members in search of answers.

While the hours are long and the decisions many, know that the majority of property leaders love the action and remain in a position of authority for many years. Enjoy the leadership role. Learn from it every day. Take advantage of the community connections and considerable relationship opportunities with other leaders. Get out of your office often and become a class-A observer. People want to be recognized for their good deeds. Recognize often. Never hold back an encouraging word. That just may be the secret sauce of leadership.

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Jack Dillon writes the In My Opinion posts. Jack is an experienced golf expert, with skills in merchandising, service, communications, and operations. Jack is available to help your club today. *For Golfincmagazine readers, Jack has a special offer. He is offering a FREE 30-minute Zoom to talk about your golf shop or your service issues. Go to: www.youdontknowjackd.com and click on the calendar to find a convenient time. This offer ends 10/31/2024. You can call Jack at 407-973-6136. Jack lives in Orlando. He supports clubs and golf brands.