Golf Course Architecture by Colin Powell: Lesson FOUR

[Ben Sims]

This is an 18-lesson series designed to promote discussion amongst golf architecture fans.  The use of Gen (ret.) Colin Powell's Leadership Primer is used only for this discussion and not profit or personal gain.

After a week and a half hiatus to reacquaint myself to my ejection seat office, move into a new house, and hang out at Ballyneal with a true group of dudes, Colin Powell returns with his wisdom.   

From lesson three we can assume that the experts and elites here at GCA.com weren't very game for discussion.  I was surprised at the lack of attention that it garnered.  I think lesson four touches on what lesson three was all about; that is, taking chances and giving "real" talent a place at the table is just as important as titles and lineage. 

Lesson FOUR

Don't be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard.

Learn from the pros, observe them, seek them out as mentors and partners. But remember that even the pros may have levelled out in terms of their learning and skills. Sometimes even the pros can become complacent and lazy. Leadership does not emerge from blind obedience to anyone. Xerox's Barry Rand was right on target when he warned his people that if you have a yes-man working for you, one of you is redundant. Good leadership encourages everyone's evolution.


I try and take one thing from every student I fly with and internalize for my own growth.  Even the brand new lieutenant on his first sortie can teach me something.  Stagnate skills development makes me obsolete and ineffectual as a pilot.  Golf architecture is no different. 

I think what makes the modern school of minmalism so intriguing is that it is evolving with talent, site potential, and client expectation.  Each and every project seems to be looked at as a way to expand or shift the paradigm in a meaningful way.  The new project at Dismal River is very exciting for golf for many of the new practices that could/will be introduced and the efficiency with which the golf course will be built. 

I don't feel like the big firms think in this manner.  They are more concerned with status quo and market acceptance. 

Reattacks?

[Kalen Braley]

Sounds good I agree...but with this one qualifier.

If you're the underling, you better know what the hell you're talking about before you chime in or your reputation could be tarnished for good.  There is nothing worse than a new guy coming in and popping off his mouth when he doesn't know his elbow from his a$%hole!

[Tom_Doak]

If you're the underling, you better know what the hell you're talking about before you chime in or your reputation could be tarnished for good.  There is nothing worse than a new guy coming in and popping off his mouth when he doesn't know his elbow from his a$%hole!

Kalen:

We've certainly had our share of interns who came into a project and talked a big game.  One or two of them might even post opinions here on occasion. 

I am generally more forgiving about this than some of my associates, because I can still remember clearly when I was 21 and full of ideas.  I learned when to shut up, but it took a little while, so I can't fault others for the same.  The problem is that most of us older guys can't forget the young lads when they were 21-24 years old and more than a bit green, and some are dismissed too easily because of an early misstep.

The thing I agree with the most is that there is no point in having yes-men on the job.  I certainly don't, and yet I've observed other practices which are just chock full of them because that's what the boss seems to be hiring for.

[Peter Pallotta]

The decision deemed best/right ten years ago (or ten days ago or ten minutes ago) isn't necessarily the best/right one NOW.  Leadership is about continually clearing away the residue of past experience so as to stay in the moment. A leader doesn't stand on his reputation or his past successes/glories - he stands on his ability to make the best/right decision now, even if that decision is proposed by a junior associate, or even by a child. As Tennessee Williams once wrote: Snatching the eternal from the ever-fleeting is the great magic trick of human kind.  He meant it/wrote it in another context, but I think it can be paraphrased like this: Honouring unchanging principles in the midst of ever-changing circumstances is the knife-edge that a leader must walk.  And if he can't/won't see the changing circumstances because they take him out of his comfort zone and challenge his self-image, the leader will pretty soon stop listening to any brash young upstart who DOES see the new/changing circumstances clearly, and that's when he stagnates (even if he remains 'leader' in name for many years to come).

Peter

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,
I am not at all certain this is a great idea.
Peter P alludes to knife-edges and that is very much what I think in this regard. It must be a very narrow path that one treads when calling out the expert/professional as you can easily become yesterday's man and then you have no clout. Similarly if the "boss" is constantly being challenged staff may well perceive a weakness in the leadership. The phrase yes-man has poor connotations but possibly more gets done at the coal-face when there are some in the mix.

I suspect it is better to keep your powder dry in the first instance; oft-times I am glad I have kept my mouth shut as a wrinkle or quirk that had never crossed my mind, due to lack of experience or plain ignorance, explains everything. I am with Kalen too. As I said before I would take care before I tell my granny how to suck eggs.

Does this make me a wimp?!!

Cheers Colin

[Kalen Braley]

If you're the underling, you better know what the hell you're talking about before you chime in or your reputation could be tarnished for good.  There is nothing worse than a new guy coming in and popping off his mouth when he doesn't know his elbow from his a$%hole!

Kalen:

We've certainly had our share of interns who came into a project and talked a big game.  One or two of them might even post opinions here on occasion. 

I am generally more forgiving about this than some of my associates, because I can still remember clearly when I was 21 and full of ideas.  I learned when to shut up, but it took a little while, so I can't fault others for the same.  The problem is that most of us older guys can't forget the young lads when they were 21-24 years old and more than a bit green, and some are dismissed too easily because of an early misstep.

The thing I agree with the most is that there is no point in having yes-men on the job.  I certainly don't, and yet I've observed other practices which are just chock full of them because that's what the boss seems to be hiring for.

Tom,

I'm glad to hear that you are more tolerant of it than most.  I should also further elaborate on my original post because I'm certainly not one who believes interns should be seen not heard, but there is some context.

As an example, in my current job we have a new guy who is straight out of college and he certainly doesn't shy of telling us all how great and smart he is.  We put up with it and get a good chuckle out of it, but one day he was openly criticzing the boss and we tried to tell him how that might be a career limiting move (CLM).  He blew us off, but the next day we saw him in with the boss for a lengthy conversation.  He almost certainly got his wings clipped, but I think he learned a valuable lesson in the whole "time and place" category and we haven't heard nary a bad word from him since.

As it pertains to yes men, I think there is a difference between someone deferring to one's expertise and internally realizing it seems like the right decision, and one who will do absolutely anything and everything the boss says without any further thought.  My industry is nice because for the most part everything is 0s and 1s literally.  There is almost always a specification, or a document that says "thus shall it be".  So often times, who is right or wrong, is the guy who did the most homework.

All this being said, i am also a huge fan of enabling workers to make decisions and spread thier wings without risk of being mocked/made to feel stupid if something doesn't work out right.