Bubba Decisioning

I just viewed a live interview with Bubba Watson on “Morning Drive” and the Golf Channel. In case you missed, he is the new winner of the Green Jacket (Master's Golf Tournament).

He won in historic fashion in a sudden death playoff. What is notable is how he made the critical decision at just the right time. What is also rare is that he has no coaches, never took golf lesson, he is left-handed, and has a very unorthodox swing. The golf aficionados are beginning to label him as the “natural.”

Consider that most every other pro has an entourage within their camp. Everything from swing coaches, to dietary advisers to psychological experts. That's a lot of advise from (sometimes) conflicting schools of thought. Bubba did not have to deal with all that.

Some of his classic quotes (keys to success) were:

“I didn't think about the prize...just the shot.”

“I kept my head down to keep from getting distracted.”

“I was comfortable in the straw...that's where I came from.”

Remarkably, being in the rough with the tournament on the line, is not where the average golfer prefers to be. In the woods is probably their least favorite and least practiced location. Bubba (much like the rabbit in the briar patch), was perfectly at home there while the critics had almost written him off.

So, what is the “Bubba Lesson?”

In the universe of decisioning, it's a teachable moment. While the rest of the field is juggling with technicians, coaches and experts, Bubba is simply keeping his head down, and trusting his simple swing thoughts and a repeatable execution. That philosophy would work at home, in business and most everywhere else.

One last thing...he has visible passion. While he was shedding tears in front of 30 million people, many of us were touched in the same way. Maybe it is becoming a pattern in the world of sports where these few remarkable icons will serve to show us more of the adage: “the simple shall confound the wise.”

You go Bubba!

As always...you decide.