Let me start off by saying that I am NOT disappointed in Tiger Woods for reportedly cheating on his wife.
I imagine life as a famous person, on the road the majority of the time with people throwing themselves at you, would tempt even the most pious of people.
I AM disappointed in the way he seems to be dealing with his affairs.
A leader is measured by how they handle a crisis.
If I Were Tiger Woods right now, I would:
1) Hold a press conference with my top endorsers and me in a room (this would be one of the most watched events of the year!).
2) Admit to my wife, the rest of my family, my close friends, my fans and my endorsers that I made a big mistake.
3) Take the equivalent of all the endorsement money I’ve made in the last year — $50 to $100 million sounds like a good round number — and donate it all to a charity whose values support the improvement of family.
4) Announce that the next golf tournament I play at will be called the “Family Open” or “Family Invitational” and that all tickets will be free (with an emphasis on families); and that all players will bring along a family member as a teammate or caddy and will forgoe their prize money.
5) Ask the Press to be as hard on me as they’d like, but to be gentle with my wife and family.
6) Admit that all the above isn’t enough…but that it’s a start.
Tiger has an opportunity that all leaders have: to turn a negative situation into a positive one.
He may also benefit from reading It’s Not About The Bike by Lance Armstrong, who faced a low point with some sponsors and fans when he had cancer — talk about turning a negative into a postive!
While Lance faced a different situation, he wouldn’t be a bad guy to listen to during these times.
Tiger has showed leadership on the golf course. Let’s see what he can do off the course.
I know you can do it, Tiger!
Click Leadership Articles to see more of what I’ve written on the subject.