Being Accountable for Failure

Professional golf is the ultimate individual sport. It’s the golfer vs. the course — with a little help from technology-tested clubs that players are paid handsomely to promote.

No golfer does an endorsement deal simply for the sake of it — their livelihood is too important. Since each club in a player’s bag has been tested repeatedly, the fault lies with the swing alone if the golfer hits a wayward shot. A single stroke can mean the difference between victory and failing to make the cut.

“If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks,” American golfer Bryson DeChambeau said last week after a disappointing showing at The Open. “It’s not a good face for me, and we’re still trying to figure out how to make it good on the mishits. I’m living on the razor’s edge like I’ve told people for a long time.”

DeChambeau threw everyone under the bus except himself, never holding himself accountable for the poor shots. But we all know better, and even DeChambeau when facing the onslaught of criticism backed off his anger toward his Cobra driver.

But the damage was done. He had pointed the finger at the company and not in his own direction. Once a teammate throws another under the bus, trust disappears, and culture becomes severely infected. We as leaders cannot allow a self-inflicted wound to hurt the program and must implore everyone, including ourselves, to be accountable. Our words to our team after we struggle are crucial. If we lose our poise or place blame elsewhere, our ability to lead diminishes quickly.

After a rough outing or a challenging quarter, it’s easy to lose focus, drop our guard and surrender our mental toughness. However, during rough times is when we need those qualities the most. We must demonstrate focus, an ability to withstand criticism, and most of all, mental toughness. The obstacles we overcome make us stronger and more effective. When faced with a problem, we must be prepared and harness the right words and the right messaging, because, during difficult times, real character reveals itself for all to examine.

DeChambeau can apologize and can regret his words, but only his humble actions moving forward will allow his teammates to regain trust.