Get coached by the people who thrive on golf’s biggest stage
The birds are chirping. The azaleas are blooming. The egg salad sandwiches are ready. And that means it’s the best time of the year – Masters Week!
This beloved golf tournament really is a tradition unlike any other. It’s where legends are made, where pressure reveals your character, and where the smallest details separate champions from everyone else.
I don’t know about you, but the people who excel in that kind of environment are exactly the kind of people I want to learn from.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing several of Augusta National’s legends, including:
- Rory McIlroy, reigning champion
- Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club
- Jack Nicklaus, six-time Masters winner
- Jim Nantz, CBS broadcaster and the voice of the Masters
- Ted Scott, caddie for Scottie Scheffler and four-time Masters winner
They’ve learned how to succeed in a place as demanding as Augusta National Golf Club. And their insights can help you in whatever challenging place you find yourself in right now.
Here are a few of my favorites, with takeaways you can use this week:
1. If you want to bounce back after a setback
2025 Masters Champion Rory McIlroy on reframing failure
We all remember Rory McIlroy’s emotional Masters win last year as he finally got his Green Jacket and career Grand Slam.
But don’t forget, he’s also had some crushing defeats—including a final-round collapse at the 2011 Masters.
Those kinds of losses are devastating, but Rory doesn’t waste them. As he told me: “You certainly learn more in your failures than you do in your wins.”
After any setback, Rory figures out what went wrong and what he needs to do better. Then, he gets back to work.
The business coaching for you: If the world’s best golfers can fail and collapse, then so can you. In fact, it’s not a question of if you’ll fail. You will! The question is whether you’ll reflect, learn, and come back stronger. The ones who do are the ones who go on to accomplish great things.
If you’ve suffered a setback recently, resist the urge to move on and forget about it. You may need to lick your wounds for a bit, but eventually, take time to reflect: What can I learn from this? What would I do differently?
And remember, failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s just a step on the way to it.
Watch my whole conversation with Rory on the How Leaders Lead YouTube channel
2. If you want to get better at something
Ted Scott, Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie, on being curious and learning from everyone
If you’ve watched Scottie Scheffler dominate golf over the last few years, you know his caddie Ted Scott has been there through it all, including two Masters wins.
Ted was also on the bag for Bubba Watson’s two victories at Augusta National, so it’s little wonder that Ted is regarded as one of the world’s best caddies.
Ted’s episode of How Leaders Lead just came out last week, and I was struck by how he tries to learn from everyone around him: “I’m always trying to be the guy that doesn’t know anything in the room full of people that do.”
He’s constantly asking other athletes, businesspeople, and coaches: What are you thinking about? How are you approaching this? He believes everyone has something to teach him, and he isn’t too embarrassed or fragile to ask.
The business coaching for you: The moment you think you’re the expert is the moment you stop growing.
It’s easy to fall into this trap, especially as you get more senior. You’ve been doing this for years. You know what works.
But if you want to keep improving, you have to stay curious. Surround yourself with people who have fresh expertise. Believe each one of them has something to teach you. Then be quick to ask questions rather than give answers.
And the real kicker: this won’t just help youlearn. It’ll set an example for everyone on your team that it’s OK to ask questions and be curious. That will help you build an entire team of people who are constantly getting better.
3. If you want growth without compromise
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley on weighing new opportunities
As Chairman of Augusta National, Fred Ridley leads one of the most iconic institutions in sports. They’re steeped in tradition and legacy. And yet, they’ve also evolved significantly in recent years—admitting women members, launching the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and adapting their iconic course as professional golf changes.
So how do they balance these new changes with their longstanding history? Fred told me they test every new opportunity through the filter of their founders’ principles: excellence, respect for others, and continuous improvement.
In Fred’s words, “If you have a set of principles and beliefs that you can always go back to, that’s how an organization stays grounded.”
The business coaching for you: Every leader faces this tension. When a new opportunity comes along, how do you know if it’s worth pursuing … or if it will take you away from what’s made you successful so far?
Let Fred’s approach at Augusta remind you: your values are not a constraint on your growth. They are a foundation that can guide your growth the right way.
When you’re making big-picture decisions, ask: Does this align with who we are? Can we pursue it while still operating out of our core principles?
That’s how you stay established and true to yourself while also innovating and staying relevant—just like The Masters.
4. If you want to be more inspirational to those you lead
CBS & Masters broadcaster Jim Nantz on giving credit
Jim Nantz has called some of the most iconic moments in sports history, and it’s not really Masters week until I hear him say, “Hello, friends.”
He’s received countless awards and accolades over the years, but in those moments, Jim is quick to deflect attention away from himself and instead showcase the team around him.
As he told me, “The real shining lights in my life are the people that are looking for credit the least.”
The business coaching for you: Most people trip over one another trying to get credit. But the leaders people actually respect are quick to give it away.
Your team is watching. They notice when you hoard credit. And they notice when you share it.
When you consistently recognize others, you create a culture where people feel valued and know they really matter.
So the next time something goes well, resist the urge to take a bow. Instead, shine the spotlight on the people who made it happen.
It’s the best way I know to earn respect, inspire loyalty, and accomplish big things.
5. If you want to be more consistent
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus on the power of preparation
Jack Nicklaus won the Masters six times—more than anyone in history. So when Jack talks about consistency, you better believe I’m paying attention.
Here’s what he told me when I asked what helped him win so regularly:
“Being prepared is probably the most important thing in any walk of life,” Jack said in our interview. “If you’re not prepared, you’re not going to perform.”
Jack didn’t just show up to Augusta and hope for the best. He prepared all year long—practicing on courses that would help him get ready for the Masters specifically, and focusing early on how he would approach it.
The business coaching for you: It would be easy to chalk Jack’s legendary career up to talent alone. But that kind of consistency takes more than talent. It takes preparation.
If you want consistent wins in your career, don’t get over-reliant on your status or your know-how. Keep working hard—doing the research, prepping for meetings, practicing the pitch, anticipating the questions.
That kind of preparation isn’t glamorous. But it’s what separates flash-in-the-pan winners from lifelong champions.
To wrap it up…
The Masters doesn’t reward talent alone.
It rewards preparation, perspective, discipline, and the mental toughness to respond when things don’t go your way.
The same qualities show up in great leaders. These lessons may come from great golfers, but they can apply to all of us, wherever we’re leading.
Which of these insights are you going to put into practice?
And who’s your pick to win the coveted Green Jacket this year?
Drop a comment and let me know! I’d love to hear from you.
Your Next Step
All these conversations are available on my podcast, How Leaders Lead. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.