Discernment and Leadership

For beginners, avid golfers, and leaders alike, one of the most brilliant aspects of golf is its ability to offer countless opportunities to develop and enhance soft skills. The golf course, much like the practice range, serves as a playground for trial and error in the pursuit of mastery. You’ll often see golfers hit four “bad” shots, but it’s that one perfect shot that keeps them coming back for more.

Among the many soft skills developed through golf, discernment is perhaps the most challenging—and often the most essential in leadership. When I think of the great leaders I’ve had throughout my life, one of their most remarkable qualities is their ability to navigate complexity and make tough decisions with clarity and confidence.

In a single 4- to 5-hour round of golf, you’re faced with numerous decisions: choosing the right club, managing the course, reading greens, and maintaining emotional control while balancing strategy and technique. Golf, more often than not, is about managing your mistakes.

With this in mind, discernment can be developed and refined by first cultivating a heightened awareness of your surroundings, then engaging in thoughtful self-reflection, and finally, learning to trust your intuition.

1. Awareness: Becoming highly observant of your surroundings, the course conditions, and the task at hand.
2. Self-Reflection: Understanding your current mindset, strengths, and limitations.
3. Intuition: Trusting your instincts, developed through experience.

The third trait, intuition, can be somewhat controversial in leadership, as it relies on an intrinsic sense of judgment. However, I believe great leaders combine awareness and reflection to cultivate informed instincts. Intuition sharpens through experience and thoughtful reflection, enabling you to discern the best course of action, particularly in uncertain or high-pressure situations. It transcends logic, allowing for fluid, instinctual choices informed by subtle cues you’ve recognized over time.

On the golf course, you might find yourself behind a tree, deciding between two options: playing it safe by chipping back to the fairway or taking a risk and going for the green. This moment offers a “safe space” for trial and error, where you can attempt a bold move but ultimately realize that success has a low probability, and failure could leave you in a worse position. In this case, the discernment to play conservatively and put yourself in a better position is often what leads to success.

In golf, as in leadership, the ability to develop discernment is key to long-term success. The game provides a unique environment where you can experiment with decision-making, reflect on your actions, and hone your instincts—all while enjoying the challenge. I encourage everyone, regardless of skill level, to play golf. Whether you're navigating the complexities of a golf course or leading a team, the soft skills you cultivate through golf can be invaluable in both personal and professional settings.