He had just won golf’s U.S. Open major tournament. Not only was this a Major, but he was the first golfer to win a million dollars in a single season. This was a good day. That’s not entirely accurate. This was a great day.

After the win and receiving the trophy, a reporter asks what will he do tonight? Expecting some grand answer that he’d go to Disneyworld or prepare for the next tournament the golfer gave an odd answer. He replied, “I’ll probably spend time thinking about the mistake I made on hole 12.”

Whether truth or myth this is favorite story of mine from my favorite golfer of all-time, Curtis Strange. He had just won the U.S. Open. He crossed a million dollars in earnings. His name would be etched in a trophy never to be erased. Crowds were cheering. He hugged the trophy, kissed it even, but the whole time his mind was somewhere else. He left a stroke on the course and that plagued him.

After a win, you take the bow, sign autographs, and speak to the press. You raise the trophy to the clicks and flashes of a thousand cameras. But what’s going in your mind? You’re considering how to be better. Then you get home and there are no adoring fans, and you begin to consider how you get the next win. Your mind turns on how to improve.

What does winning look like?

First, it’s wrestling with the demons of having to be successful every step of the way. Leaders want to win every battle. In our minds, win after win after win leads to ultimate success. When we don’t win each step we begin to think negatively about ourselves. We’ll doubt our abilities and consider a change in direction.

Even while awash in victory, Strange was thinking about a mistake he made earlier in his round of golf. Leaders get obsessed with making winning a process. Strange won the tournament. The win was forever etched in history. Yet, he wanted to increase the scale of the win. If he had not made the mistake on 12 then perhaps the win would have come a little easier. Leaders are never satisfied.

Second, it’s holding up the trophy. Take time to celebrate the wins. Perhaps the win wasn’t flawless or pretty. It rarely is. Train yourself to see the result. You won. The trophy is yours. You achieved your goal. Lift the trophy in the air for all to see. Listen to the crowd cheer. Get lost in the moment and enjoy your victory. There’ll be time to consider improvements tomorrow. But for now, enjoy the win.

What does winning look like? It’s holding the trophy in the air as people cheer. But it’s also being haunted by the fact that the win wasn’t perfect. Leaders burn with a desire to win. They know winning leads to increased profits which allows for raises and additional hires. It means they can expand and have greater impact. This is why they obsess over winning.

As you win a battle remember to hug the trophy a little longer and don’t snuggle the mistakes for long. Enjoy the celebration and allow it to build your confidence. Learn from the stumbles and move forward. Be careful not to drown in perfectionism. Hoist the trophy high and revel in the moment.

Hug the trophy. Stop snuggling the mistakes.

Leadership matters,

Brian