A Lesson from the US Open

This past weekend I found myself mesmerized by the US Open Golf Championship. Golf is one of those passions I have -- I love playing the game and really enjoy attending PGA Tournament events. In fact, one of my life goals is to attend the Masters Tournament at Augusta -- a goal I have every intention of achieving!

But, this last weekend millions of people were witness to a true exhibition of sporting greatness. Who else to deliver such an amazing performance than Tiger Woods. I have watched Tiger play in many tournaments and have followed him around the course at various tournaments. His US Open performance this past week was one for the record books.

What made this performance so special? Tiger had knee surgery on April 15 of this year. Two months later he is on the course competing for his 14th major championship. Early in the tournament it became apparent Tiger's knee was bothering him. The tournament runs for four days and with each day the knee caused more trouble for him. He fought through it and continued playing and giving it his all. Not only did he continue to play but he kept himself in contention.

The course at Torrey Pines, where the tournament was played, presented a challenge for all the golfers. The golfing was excellent and the lead changed hands many times. But, Tiger did what a champion does -- he played with determination and a passion to win. He refused to talk to the media about the severity of his knee pain but instead wanted to focus on the competition. He refused to make excuses and took responsibility for every shot he made - the good ones as well as the bad ones - and didn't blame it on his health. Tiger made the shots when he needed to and won the championship after an 18-hole playoff and even needed a 19th hole to win the trophy.

Tiger's performance was amazing and made even more so by the fact that he beat the best golfers in the world while still recovering from knee surgery. During the tournament Tiger was interviewed by a reporter who ask him about a particularly great shot he made on Saturday. It was his second shot into the 18th green and it set him up to eagle the hole (2-shots below par.) He made the eagle putt and that shot put him in the lead for the first time.

When the reporter ask him about the shot Tiger said that it was a shot he had been rehearsing with his coach prior to the round. He knew that he might need to use that shot -- a cut shot over the water -- on that particular hole. So, he "rehearsed" it. I found that to be a fascinating way to look at his preparation.

We can learn a lot from Tiger that works well for us in our business and life as well. We need to bring our passion, persistence, perseverance and desire to win with us to work every day. There can be no excuses for poor performance or "missed shots." Stay focused on the job at hand and analyze our strengths as well as our weaknesses to always get better. It is also important to rehearse for the work we need to do and what we need to be prepared for in our business. The rehearsal may be the most important part of all. We can't assume we can succeed at everything we try without rehearsing it. Even if it is something we may have done before, the preparation is critical.

Take a lesson from Tiger, prepare to win everyday and don't let anything get in your way. No excuses! Just a sheer determination and a will to win. That is the sure sign of leadership and success. Make today a great day -- stay focused on your goals and dreams and don't let the missed shots stop you from achieving all the success you desire.