What Should Tiger Woods Do Now?

Much has been written and said about Tiger Woods and his woes, and many people have a view or opinion on what happened and what should happen going forward. But a great deal of this commentary ignores conventional wisdom on how to handle a mess like the one Tiger has got himself into. What is relevant to you and I is not to judge Tiger on what he did, but rather learn from his mistakes and how he ultimately handles them. Because you can count on one thing for sure, almost everyone will face some career-related setback or problem at some point in their lives, it is important to learn how to overcome career reversals.


So what should Tiger do? Lets look at what he has done - disappeared and taken leave from his job. Where he is and who he is with is anyone's guess. Henry Ford once said "never complain, never explain." This advice is truer today than it was back in his day, especially in a world where Facebook, blogging and reality TV have made sharing everything about yourself the norm. As a result, people are hunting for Tiger and wanting an explanation for what he did. But I'm not sure these people, be it fans, peers or sponsors, deserve an explanation. They are not family, they are not close personal friends. That is who Woods needs to explain himself to, his wife, his family and his friends. Not the public.


No, what has happened to Tiger is what can happen when you are in a position of power or great influence. If you are not careful. When you start to believe you can do anything because you have been successful in your field then you risk believing the rules don't apply to you, that you have the ability to control events and achieve success no matter what the situation or circumstance. There is little regard for social conventions and norms. Tiger is not alone in this, just look at some of the CEOs and business icons that have risen on the back of their success and then reached a bit too far before falling. The list is long. Names like Sandy Weill, Sir Fred Goodwin, Martha Stewart and Michael Milken come to mind.


What you have to do in a situation like Tiger's is get right back on the horse. Tiger Woods has only one true option to make it back, and that is to get back on the golf course and start winning some titles. It may not happen over night, but eventually he will win again because he is the best golfer thats ever played the game. By focusing on his golf game he can begin the long and hard process of putting his life back together for himself and for his family.


I personally learnt this lesson early in my career. I was in charge of a series of projects for a key customer using our technology for the first time to negotiate major supply contracts. The contracts were bid online through reverse auctions, so when the day came for our first event it was a big deal. The client and his stakeholders gathered around the screen for what was supposed to be a straightforward auction. It turned out to be a disaster. A mistake on the part of the supply base had undermined the program, and my team had not caught it. It was an embarrassment for my client, for me and my company. I went back to my hotel room that night, undressed and crawled into bed. I couldn't believe what had happened, and as the Account Director, it was my sole responsibility even if someone else had not done their bit. I woke up early the next day and did the only thing I could - I got back to my team and focused on the next project. We were going to be perfect on this one. This happened exactly 10 years ago and you know what? This client is still running one of the most successful programs in the world on the same technology. The results are staggering. And it all started with a failed project, but we didn't let it stop us from ploughing ahead.


As for the people who would regard Tiger as anything more than a great golfer, you are going to be disappointed. While I believe in the old dictum that with great power comes great responsibility, I think we need to take a step back and realize that athletes and artists do not fall into this category by default. They are talented at what they do, but they are human beings with values and morals that are not necessarily aligned with yours, and like you, they can have poor judgement. Some of them may even be pure evil, you just don't know. In the case of Tiger, I wish him well. He is a young man who has made terrible mistakes in his life and I pray he and his family can get through this and move on with their lives. But he needs to get back out there and play. Soon.