2-20-10 Tiger and His Apology

We all saw Tiger Woods apologize today. I know, some of you don’t care, but the fact is, it DOES matter to many people. For me, I’ve always felt that it was none of my business what he (or any other public figure) does in his personal life. But….. There all things that we, as executives, can learn from his debacle. Some of which I’ve mentioned here before, but all of which bear repeating.

First, apologize when you hurt someone. Fortunately, most of us won’t ever have to do it in front of the cameras like Tiger just did. But the fact is, there will be times in our lives that we have to apologize for our behavior. Part of the apology is making sure that you clearly take the blame --- and not shifting it to others. Tiger was perhaps a bit late with his apology (at least in public). Apologies are always better served early rather that late.

Second, no one is entitled to anything. Let me repeat that, we ARE NOT entitled to anything (1-25-10 Shoulda Told Me #5). Tiger admitted that he had gone beyond playing by the rules, feeling that he was entitled to live the life he had created. He is certainly paying the price now. Granted, most people don’t always play by the rules. Yep, I’m guilty of that too. The difference is that successful executives are VERY careful as to which rules they flout. And, they work diligently to change the rules that are stupid, or useless, or outdated.

Third, your private life is never quite as private as you think it is. For Tiger and for many executives there is a constant blurring of the line between private and public lives. There is a very fine line between the two (2-10-10 A Fine Line), where your personal or private life will ultimately reflect on your public life.

As a corollary, I have been impressed by Tiger’s attempt to shield his family from the public glare. He is absolutely right, his wife and kids shouldn’t have to suffer the public scrutiny because of his mistakes or even because of his success. For the executive, how many of you have drug your spouse to events because “it must be done”? Sure, there are times when our families need to participate in our professional lives. But remember, your career is your choice, not theirs.

Fourth, Tiger demonstrated that it is okay to get help. Whether it is a professional, structured program or friends or your pastor or your spouse, it doesn’t matter. What matters is reaching out to someone that can give you perspective and, if necessary, the whack upside the head. (2-8-10 Shoulda Told Me #6).

Fifth, Tiger talked about seeking balance in his life, between the public, the private, the spiritual, etc. As a public figure or as an executive, this is a difficult task to do. But with balance between our jobs, our home, our church, our volunteerism, our school, etc., we will truly are better people to be around. (2-17-10 Balance)

And finally, you have to have a plan for the future. This is especially true for when you make a mistake. Perhaps Tiger was a little thin on his future plans in today’s press conference, but you could see the beginnings of his plan. And even when we aren’t working off a mistake, a vision/plan is still critical. As I’ve mentioned before, the skills related to setting a vision are the exclusive purview of the executive (1-8-10 I Have a Dream). This is not something that you can delegate to anyone else. And, having a plan applies in your personal life as well as your professional life.

Cheers!