What if small adjustments could change everything?

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THE ART & SCIENCE OF LEADING SELF
The Power of the Short Game

My friend, I recently wrapped up my 6-week journey with PGA HOPE Raleigh, a program that introduces and teaches golf to Veterans and Active Duty Military to enhance well-being through the power of golf. Let me tell you, I am a full convert. 😊

The program concluded with a 9-hole golf scramble at Hedingham Golf Club, where we tested everything we'd learned. My team discovered something profound: the short game is where scores truly improve. While driving the ball far down the fairway might look impressive, it’s the careful putts, precise chips, and thoughtful approaches that make the difference.

This sparked a deeper insight about leadership: we often chase big, visible achievements when small, consistent actions create the most lasting impact. The fundamentals matter more than the spectacle.

Let's explore 3 insights from the short game that can transform both your self-leadership and team leadership.

Insight #1: Precision Creates Greater Impact Than Power

In golf, a 300-yard drive looks spectacular. But a precise 10-foot putt counts exactly the same on the scorecard. Our team improved our scores through careful attention to those "small ball" moments around the green.

In your self-leadership, the precision with which you execute fundamental practices often creates more impact than occasional grand gestures. Your consistent reflection habits and careful attention to emotional regulation quietly determine your effectiveness far more than flashy leadership moments.

When extending this to team leadership, precision becomes even more powerful. The exact words you choose when providing feedback and the specific ways you recognize contributions create clarity that grand vision statements alone cannot achieve.

Ask yourself: Where in your leadership might you be overvaluing power at the expense of precision?

Insight #2: Fundamentals Determine Your Ceiling

In golf, even the most talented players can't escape the fundamentals. Grip, stance, and follow-through create the foundation for everything else. When these break down, performance suffers regardless of natural ability.

Your self-leadership follows this same pattern. The practices of self-awareness, reflection, and intentionality determine your leadership ceiling. You cannot lead others effectively without mastering these fundamentals first.

When applied to team leadership, this focus transforms collective performance. Teams with strong fundamentals of psychological safety and clear decision-making consistently outperform those with flashier strategies but shaky foundations.

Consider: What leadership fundamentals might you be neglecting that are silently limiting your effectiveness?

Insight #3: Consistent Small Adjustments Create Breakthrough Results

In golf, the difference between a slice and a straight drive often comes down to a tiny grip adjustment. These small changes, consistently applied, create breakthrough results that massive swing overhauls rarely achieve.

Your self-leadership thrives on this same principle. The small adjustment in how you begin your day or the slight shift in how you frame challenges can dramatically transform your effectiveness.

The difficulty? These adjustments rarely feel significant in the moment. Their power emerges through consistent application over time, making them easy to abandon before their impact becomes visible.

When extended to team leadership, small adjustments become even more powerful. The slight shift in how you structure meetings or the tiny refinement in communication protocols can create outsized improvements in team performance.

Reflect: What small adjustment, consistently applied, might create the most significant improvement in your leadership?

The short game in leadership isn't glamorous. There are no highlight reels of a leader practicing emotional regulation. But these fundamentals silently determine your effectiveness, just as surely as the short game determines a golfer's score.

FROM INSIGHT TO ACTION
Putting It Into Practice

Your Leadership Short Game Assessment:

Take 10 minutes to reflect on these questions:

1. Precision vs. Power: Where are you emphasizing grand gestures when careful precision might create more impact?

2. Fundamental Check: Which leadership fundamentals need strengthening to raise your leadership ceiling?

3. Small Adjustments: What single small adjustment, consistently applied over the next 30 days, could most improve your leadership?

Team Application:

Choose one insight from above and consider:

• How might strengthening this aspect of your self-leadership transform your team?

• What specific practice could you implement with your team?

• How would you measure improvement over the next 90 days?

Remember, improvement comes through consistent practice of fundamentals, not through occasional heroic efforts.

DEEPENING YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Resources for You

🏌️ Want to understand how deliberate practice transforms performance in any domain? This book provides groundbreaking insights on the science of expertise. (Link)

🧠 This Stanford research reveals how small goals support the pursuit of larger ones. (Link)

📊 Looking for practical frameworks on how small habits drive significant outcomes? (Link)

📚 The concept of "marginal gains" has transformed performance in multiple domains. James Clear breaks down how tiny improvements accumulate into remarkable results. (Link)

EXCELLENCE UNBOUNDED
How I Can Help You

High-performing executive teams don’t happen by chance. They happen by design.

Aligned Senior Leaders Are:

✅ 1.9x more likely to achieve above-average financial performance
✅ 2.5x more likely to have satisfied and engaged employees

Aligned Companies Are:

✅ 58% faster revenue growth
✅ 72% more profitable

Misaligned companies underperform in the following ways:

❌ 50% lower ROIC
❌ 18% lower EBITDA
❌ 25% loss of revenue
❌ Reduced productivity
❌ Slower strategic execution

Book a call to learn more about The Executive Alignment Playbook 🚀, an immersive, experiential leadership program.

Realign your leadership team. Accelerate execution. Drive measurable results.

🎤 Speaking Engagements: My mom can attest to the fact that I LOVE to talk. 😂 Now, I put that talent to work delivering talks on Mindset, Courage, Resilience, & Innovation.

A few past clients include KraftHeinz, Amazon Women @ Payments, PAHEi, & the Panamá Chapter of the International Coaching Federation (I delivered this talk in Spanish).

If you are interested in having me speak at your event, please fill out this form.

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD 📢

Until next Sunday,

Shawnette