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 I was recently reminded of the inspirational story about Professional golfer Ben Crenshaw and his mentor and coach Harvey Penick. It was 1995, and Crenshaw was in Augusta preparing for the Masters - which he had won for the first time in 1984. While in preparation to play in this important tournament, he received a phone call informing him that his friend, Harvey Penick, had died at the age of ninety.
Penick was a golf pro at an Austin Country Club for 50 years. He had taught some of the greatest golfers in the world; including Tom Kite, Mickey Wright, Betsy Rauls, Kathy Whitworth, and Ben Crenshaw. It has been said that Penick was born in Austin and rarely left. The world came to him because of his goodness, his purity, and because of his willingness to reach out and help people.
Crenshaw left Augusta and flew to Austin to serve as one of the pallbearers in Harvey's funeral. After the funeral, Crenshaw headed back to the Masters - determined to play the best he had ever played as a tribute to his friend Harvey. Crenshaw won the Masters that year by sinking a short putt on the 18th green. As the ball landed in the cup, Crenshaw bent over, and started to cry. They were tears of joy for winning another green jacket, and tears of gratitude in honor of his beloved teacher. Crenshaw said it was as if he had carried a "fifteenth club" in his bag during the entire tournament, and it was Harvey.
When Crenshaw was asked what was the most important lesson Harvey had ever taught him, he said it was to "take dead aim". Take dead aim on every shot. Don't just swing and hope the ball will end up where it needs to go. Instead, every time, every swing, take dead aim!
This story made me think - how many times we as leaders fail to take dead aim - instead we take our "eye off the ball" - loosing focus on what we really need to be doing. If Harvey were a business coach, he might suggest that we start each day with a review, not of the tasks we have on our list, but rather with a crystal clear focus on the most important goals we are trying to accomplish.
One of my most efficient friends has flip chart paper on several walls of his office. He has a simple goal written on each piece of flip chart paper with 5-10 action steps underneath each goal. As he accomplishes a task he checks it off and moves on to the next step on the list. He is one of the best time managers and the best multi-taskers that I know. Much of his effectiveness comes from being well organized and totally focused. Each day he takes dead aim on his most important goals.
So, get focused on what you need to accomplish today. Then take dead aim yourself! Nothing will stop you and nothing should, because when you are focused solely on your desired outcome, you become the creature that Tom Peters speaks so highly of - The Monomaniac on a Mission - hell bent for leather and willing to do what ever it takes to get the desired results.
Once you have accomplished your goal, sit back, relax... and then take dead aim again! The system works again and again -just ask Ben Crenshaw, and the rest of Harvey Penick's students.
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