14 May Tee It Up Ttuesday: What Golf Lessons Taught Me About Being An Entrepreneur

Growing up in Wisconsin, my summer jobs were always on golf courses.  I was always giving golf lessons and there were some priceless lessons that I learned along the way that served me well in my career as an entrepreneur.  Here are the top five lessons that I learned teaching golf lessons:

1. Patience:  Patience could really be the first four lessons because learning how to be patient as my students were learning was a life long lesson that has helped me to be a more patient leader.  Entrepreneurs tend to go as fast as they can out of the gates, but sometimes the most important thing is to know when to be patient with your team.

2. Appreciate different learning styles: Not everyone learns in the same way, so it is important to train yourself to teach to each style of learning. Just because you are a visual learner doesn’t mean every member of your team is.

3. Repetition: There is a reason that serial entrepreneurs tend to have success again and again.  It is because they have mastered the systems that are required to be successful in the marketplace.  Just like Aristotle said, excellence is a habit.  Make being excellent again and again on a daily basis your habit and you will reap the rewards.

4. Practice makes perfect: Practice, practice, practice.  It doesn’t matter if it’s pitching a big client or presenting your product to potential investors, you will want to have logged as many hours practicing as you possibly can.

5. It is an individual and team sport: Entrepreneurship can be a lonely place, but most days you are relying on the team around you to carry you to the finish line.  Building a rockstar team with a depth of experience will help you fill the gaps where you are lacking as a leader.