Leadership Lessons

In my “Board Dynamics/Model Clubs” seminar, I ask for a volunteer board member with a golf handicap of 20 or higher to raise their hand. I then select this volunteer as my “golf student,” and I make the following wager to the rest of the board members.

“I will bet anyone in this room one hundred dollars (and I toss my money clip with at least that amount to another board member to verify and hold) that I can have Joe, my golf student volunteer, my 20 handicapper, hitting to the pin on the 18th hole from 75 yards, with more accuracy than
Rory Mcllroy. Any of you in this room can take Rory by wagering your hundred dollars against my golfer, Joe, and we will take Rory and Joe out to the 18th hole at the same time.”

Typically, I will have at least one board member who will gladly take the opportunity to bet on the legendary Rory against my high handicapper, Joe.

After I have secured the board member who accepts the wager, I tell him the “rest of the story.” I am going to take Joe, my high handicapper, along with a bucket of range balls, out to the 18th hole to make sure that he can physically hit the golf ball onto the green from 75 yards. Then I am going
to take your guy, Rory McIlroy, and I am going to blindfold him and spin him around a few dozen times. Then I ask, “Do you still want the bet?”

“Of course not,” will be the typical response. And I agree with you withdrawing from such an unreasonable bet. After all, how do you expect someone to hit a target they can’t see?

But I have an even better question for you. How do you expect your club general manager to hit targets they don’t even have? How do you expect your club department managers to achieve goals they don’t know about? And most importantly, how do you expect to lead this club as board members if you don’t know what direction your club is taking?

If you don’t have a mission statement and clearly defined supporting goals for your club board, you will be like a blindfolded, dizzy Rory McIlroy, popping off balls in any direction and hoping that some of them might come close to the target. “Model clubs” have taken the time to develop a meaningful mission statement that continues to be a guiding light for successive boards.

Let me share with you a couple of club experiences that underline my premise that mission statements and supporting goals form the foundation for true success in model clubs.

While meeting with a recent search committee, a committee member who had also served as a past club president was adamant about the importance of the club’s mission statement. He was emphatic that prospective club general manager candidates should understand how important the club directors
viewed the mission statement and supporting goals.

This club has enjoyed great success in a competitive environment in its Southern California market. The club president would credit the mission statement and supporting goals for the club’s ongoing success.

The second story I want to tell you is about a small club that had financial problems and was ready to sell the course to a home developer. Then the club discovered the power of the mission statement and supporting goals.

After the club formed an ad hoc committee to craft a mission statement, it proclaimed the new statement to the entire membership and published a list of supporting goals. Each club committee developed its own set of supporting goals, which fed into the club’s mission statement.

The net result of this goal-oriented planning was a complete financial turnaround. Within one year, the crisis was over, and within two years, the club was on solid footing, with nearly full membership. Today, the club enjoys a waiting list for new members and a new clubhouse that is the envy of every club in the city.

The model clubs that set themselves apart in the private club world are the clubs that have clearly defined their mission statement and supporting goals. For the board, committees and the management team. They will thrive regardless of the challenges the economy or competition may present, and they will achieve the goals they have defined in a carefully crafted plan.

If your club develops an appropriate mission statement and supporting goals, you will also enjoy the success of the model clubs. This much I know for sure.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – July/August 2025

“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.

After working with hundreds of private clubs and thousands of club board members over the past 50 years, I am confident I have discovered the secret to being a great board member.

Club members who agree to dedicate hours of their time to private club board duty come in all shapes and sizes. They have all types of career experiences and range in age from the X, Y or Z generations, to the Baby Boomers, to the maturing retirees. Their political and religious beliefs can differ as much as their personal and family use of the private club experience.

Board members will display varying degrees of dedication, passion and commitment as they tackle their roles. Some will lead their assigned committees effectively and others will assume more passive roles.

One trait will set great private club board members apart from “those who also served.” It may not be evident at first and may take careful observation, but if you look closely, you will find a few of these superstars in every private club boardroom.

What is the distinguishing characteristic that sets these club leaders apart? Which trait do the most successful board members possess? Why have these superstars gained the respect of the rest of the board and most members?

The secret that great board members have discovered is the ability to ask the right questions. Not the most questions but the right questions. They have learned to communicate effectively not by dominating the conversation but by asking key questions.

One of those questions might be: “What kind of orientation process will the general manager provide as I begin my duties as a new board member?” The most effective board members have experienced a thorough orientation that gives them the framework to make informed, rational decisions. This orientation includes a complete physical review of club assets and an introduction to department managers.

Another question: “Are the roles and responsibilities of the board members, the general manager and the department managers defined in writing?” Model clubs have clearly outlined the role of board members in club governance and the role of the general manager and department managers in the day-to-day management of the club. This practice discourages “coloring outside of the lines,” which can happen without written guidelines.

A frequently asked question: “Has the club engaged in a strategic planning process, and do we have a written report that is updated on a yearly basis?” The most progressive and successful private clubs have developed a strategic plan that provides a template for ongoing success. Clubs that are not engaged in this process may find that they will be transitioning in the future to semi-private status or become good candidates for takeover by a management company.

An important question often asked: “How can we as board members effectively support the general manager/chief operating officer model of club management?” The best-managed and best-governed clubs have embraced this management concept because many club board members can relate to how effective this model is or how effective it has been during their business careers.

Another frequently asked question: “How can we as board members demonstrate a ‘unity of purpose’ once we have made a decision?” It doesn’t matter whether an issue has been decided unanimously or by a close vote. What matters is that once board members leave the boardroom, they support the decision and leave the details of their discussions in the boardroom.

Outstanding board members will ask many other questions during their tenure, but those five are certainly common in club boardrooms.

The secret to being a great board member is not how much you have to say but how good your questions are.

This much I know for sure.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – November/December 2024

“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.

I have observed that truly successful private club general managers/chief operating officers have developed the skill of tapping into the rich resource they have sitting at their board tables: each board member’s expertise.

Too often club general managers overlook this resource, yet their board members are some of the most successful businesspeople in their community and maybe even the country. Why not tap into this rich reservoir of business expertise and talent?

Private club board members have volunteered their time and most of them would be honored if asked to contribute their knowledge-based experience for a better-governed club. Here are three strategies you can use at your club to benefit from this incredible resource.

First, your preparation for the new board member orientation is the perfect time to gather the information you will need regarding the talent each new board member possesses. I suggest a biographical data sheet similar to what was probably presented to the club shareholders when they elected the board members. You will want to expand this format, however, to include specific information outlining the accomplishments and expertise of each new board member.

Ask them to share some of their career highlights and most noted achievements. Make sure you have received approval of the draft version from your respective board members before publishing any of their biographical data. Explain to them that you will probably be calling on them to share some of their business knowledge as you manage the club, and it would help you to know as much about their careers as they are willing to discuss.

I am always pleasantly surprised at the eagerness of successful people to open up and share their stories. This information can be instructive for the general manager/chief operating officer, and many fundamental business success stories can be replicated and adapted to the private club environment. Some of the “best practices” I have seen model club general managers engage in often result from tapping into the business experiences of their board members.

The second strategy is to use the annual board retreat to develop the “experience model.” Have the retreat facilitator go around the table and ask each board member how many years of experience they have in their respective careers. With a typical nine-person board, this number can range from 250 to 350 years and higher. The facilitator will write that number on the flip chart and discuss the significance of the cumulative total.

Frequently, board members are surprised at the years of experience and the “collective wisdom” that sits around the board table every month. Once this resource is acknowledged, club issues and problems often don’t loom as large or seem daunting. There is a sense of confidence that no matter what issues might arise in a typical club environment, this governing body has hundreds of years of experience resolving problems.

The third strategy is “the office visit.” During my early years as a club manager, I was having difficulty with a particular board member. No matter what I did he responded negatively or, even worse, indifferently. And then I called him and made an appointment to visit him at his office. The ruse I used was that I wanted to discuss a couple of issues regarding the committee he was chairing, but I preferred to meet with him away from the club.

I found him cordial, and we covered the club committee issues within minutes. However, sitting in his office, I noticed a Notre Dame diploma on his wall. My brother-in-law graduated from Notre Dame and this provided the perfect “ice-breaker” as we chatted about their storied football program.

He then gave me a tour of his manufacturing facility, introducing me to every employee we encountered, and then suggested we have lunch at a nearby restaurant. From that day on our relationship changed. The dynamic shifted in a very positive manner; I don’t know why, it just did.

The office visit can be one of the most powerful strategies for a general manager to develop trust with board members. The management/governance dynamic will change positively and the club will benefit.

Mentorize your board members by engaging the above three strategies and your role as general manager will take a dramatic turn for the better. By tapping into the best business practices of your current board members, you will be viewed as a wise and resourceful general manager/chief operating officer who successfully adopts the expertise readily available at the board table.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – September/October 2024

“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.

Over the many years I have worked with private club boards, the annual board retreat is one common strategy that high-performing, successful clubs have in place.

Attendance is typically mandatory for board members who are serious about their leadership role as volunteers serving their fellow members.

The retreat’s purpose is for board members to take time away from their clubs to look at club issues strategically and with both future and historical perspectives.

It is difficult to objectively review many of the issues flowing from club committees and staff to the board without appropriate context. Especially if some of these decisions impact the long-term well-being of the club. Everyone’s best interest is served if the directors can gather once a year away from the club to discuss their leadership roles and the direction they see for the club operations.

The progress that can be made when club issues are viewed dispassionately and with some reflection is truly amazing. This methodical review cannot be achieved during normal monthly board meetings. Only an annual “brainstorming” session where board members can freely exchange comments and observations will produce results of substance and tenure.

You can select a variety of ways to conduct this retreat, but I have found the following process works effectively for many clubs. Select a half-day. Usually, a Friday or Saturday works best. Try to time this retreat when the activity at the club is slowest but also when board members are not away on vacation, sometimes a difficult balancing act.

Hold the retreat at a site away from the club. This is important. Very often another club in your area will be happy to provide you their boardroom in exchange for you extending the same courtesy in the future. You might also have access to a board member’s corporate meeting room or you can rent space at a nearby hotel or resort. A recent board retreat I helped facilitate was held in the tasting room of a neighboring vineyard. (A wonderful environment, a great feast for the senses and some wonderful wine at the end of the retreat.)

My preference is for a half-day meeting rather than a full day. If the agenda is thoughtfully developed, most board members participate with enthusiasm if they know there is a time limit to reviewing the issues. Board member attention will significantly wane after lunch no matter how enthused the facilitator or how important the topics are to the club.

I often suggest that the retreat start by 8 a.m. and finish with lunch at noon, where discussion can continue, often followed by a round of golf and dinner. A great way to cover important issues and build camaraderie among board members.

This annual opportunity to review issues dispassionately within a strategic framework will provide club leaders with a powerful and effective process for leading their club. It will also ensure that the general manager/COO (who should attend this retreat) will align with the board on many of the operational issues that are dealt with daily.

Club boards that have “retreated” annually have seen dramatic results in moving their clubs forward. In today’s high-tech environment taking a break from the daily routine of club management and governance is one of the most important strategies the board can adopt. The annual retreat allows directors to stay productive and engaged in their important roles while getting the perspective they need to make sound decisions. This much I know for sure.

THE BOARDROOM MAGAZINE – July/August 2024

“This Much I Know for Sure” is a regular feature in BoardRoom magazine beginning Fall 2022. Dick will share some of his reflections based on his 50-plus years of working in the private club business.