Headline: Dave Frem of Cyprian Keyes Golf Club Featured On the Cover of Most Recent Issue of Golf Business magazine
For Immediate Release: December 28, 2009
Norton, MA — The national spotlight shined bright on the Bay State recently when Dave Frem, general manager at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, was featured on the cover of Golf Business magazine, a national publication developed for golf course owners and operators.
Frem, who has served as general manager at the Boylston-based club since 1997, was interviewed in an article entitled "An Illuminating Effect" and noted that – among other ideas –that the most important facet of leadership is to mix a feeling of "team" with a sense of purpose.
Here is a copy of the article. For more information about Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, click here.
By Jeff Barr
Leadership that inspires performance can brighten prospects of business success
Leadership, by its very nature, is an exercise in subjectivity. Methods employed by good managers are as numerous as they are diverse. But no matter how you get there, mastering aspects of leadership is crucial to the operation of a successful golf business, particularly when the economy at large and the industry itself are in such a tenuous state.
Indeed, a management group comprised of individuals who inspire others can mean the difference between a staff that shows up simply to punch a time card or a team united to help a golf club thrive. Yet there's more at stake than good will, operators say. Contented employees often create happy customers, and that, of course, makes for a satisfied ownership. This—as owners, general managers, directors of golf and head professionals will tell you—is a common goal, regardless of the brand of leadership you choose or the type of golf facility you lead.
David Frem, general manager since 1997 at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Massachusetts, believes a leader should have a firm grasp of his or her role. Frem runs a family owned operation, and he says the most important facet of leadership is to mix a feeling of "team" with a sense of purpose.
"You have to create an environment where people want to work hard and work together," he says. "You can't order people around all the time, but you also have to let them know who's running the operation. Honesty plays a big role."
Of course, honesty is just one of many attributes that define a successful leader. Brian Anderson, head golf professional at the 36-hole Moose Run Golf Course in Fort Richardson, Alaska, believes that his own self-confidence fosters a similar quality in his staff.
"If you go around second-guessing yourself, your employees will see that and they'll start questioning your decisions, too," he notes. "I'm not talking [about] being a dictator, but you have to make sure they see a confident leader, one who will make a decision and stick by it."
Anderson's confidence-first mantra is standard operating procedure among most in management positions. But confidence, operators say, can't be achieved overnight; rather, it requires trial and error and the ability to learn from mistakes while not dwelling on them.
At Olde Homestead Golf Club in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, the management's willingness to get in the trenches and lead by example resonates particularly well among staff members. "No task is below me," says Justin Smith, who manages the facility owned by his family. "The day-to-day operations are delegated, but if there's a situation on the golf course—even if it's something like a portable toilet that needs tending to—you have to be willing to get directly involved. When employees see this, it makes it more likely that they'll jump on board."
Naturally, the "leading by example" philosophy corresponds with the number of hours upper management logs at the course—or doesn't. Operating a golf facility, unlike a bank, isn't a 9-to-5 endeavor, so managers who come in before a shift officially starts or stay past quitting time show a level of dedication that speaks volumes to workers.
Sometimes, this hands-on approach evolves into a mentoring-type relationship in which "natural-born leaders" share knowledge and insight (perhaps even without realizing it) that transforms the protégé's life. Travis Joerger, head golf professional and group manager of Ko Olina Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii, found an example to follow when he was barely old enough to hold a club. His source of inspiration: Marian Burke Bain, the former professional at Seven Oaks Golf Club in Hamilton, New York.
"She's a person I've always tried to model myself after," says Joerger, who first met Burke Bain at age 5. "I was lucky to grow up in a house that backed up to the golf course, and I was on it for as long as I remember."
Joerger worked at Seven Oaks in high school, during which time he watched Burke Bain and learned by her example. Those lessons form the foundation of his management approach today.
"She was a class act who carried herself in a friendly and professional way," Joerger recounts. "She didn't waste any effort, and she was a people-person. I try to emulate those qualities every day."
Just as there are leaders whose philosophies and style inspire greatness in others, there are managers whose methods don't make the grade. Little wonder some successful operators say they've gained as much knowledge from bad bosses as from good ones. Quite simply, they've learned how not to run a business.
Travis Fish, general manager at The Raven at South Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, remembers well the poor leaders he's seen during his more than 15 years in the industry. He declines to name names, but he does discuss traits.
"The worst [leaders] are those who think their ideas are the only way to do things," Fish says. "Those who refuse input from employees just because they're the boss. Employees see this and get frustrated, and the last thing you want is a bunch of frustrated people working for you. It shows up in the way they conduct themselves."
Soliciting and receiving input from employees is one of the easiest ways to nurture a healthy working environment. And, contrary to what some tight-fisted managers may believe, asking others for their suggestions or ideas isn't a sign of weakness. Instead, it's indicative of a healthy workplace culture.
"You can take input without compromising yourself as a leader," Fish says. "Make a decision and stay the course with it, but before you make that decision, get all the input you can to make sure your decision is sound. It doesn't matter where that input comes from."
Truth is, employees can easily identify insecure leaders, simply by the way they conduct themselves. Managers who are more apt to dictate than communicate or explain are often trying to disguise their own inadequacies.
"There are times when it's necessary to be firm, but those should be balanced with compliments for a job well done," explains David Brandenburg, general manager of Rolling Meadows Golf Course in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. "You have to treat people fairly, say what you think directly to them and be consistent about your opinions no matter who you're talking to."
Also beware the manager who projects an attitude of infallibility. Mistakes are going to happen, and understanding that missteps could be (and probably are) just around the corner is an important way to combat them. Many operators also agree that miscues should be viewed as learning experiences, not opportunities to denigrate other staff members.
"If you think you're going to run things perfectly, you're in the wrong business," Brandenburg notes.
Granted, spending too much time reflecting on mistakes magnifies the problem, which is why most operators suggest acknowledging a misstep and then moving on. In fact, some have used past blunders as the foundation of their current management philosophies.
"I used to be a guy who wore his emotions on his sleeve, who was up and down according to the way things were going," Fish admits. "You can't go around wanting to tear the shed apart or go home and punch the pillow if things get rough. Now, I try to be more even-keeled."
Meanwhile, Joerger says much of his early days were spent concentrating almost exclusively on his role within the organization rather than understanding the big picture. Today, he strives to view his operation from all angles and through the eyes of others, all the while realizing that even though he may not be able to visualize every scenario, the closer he comes, the more successful he makes himself and everyone around him.
"You have to be able to put yourself in the customers' shoes, not only management or ownership," Joerger says. "There are lots of different perspectives. If you can figure out how people in other positions might approach an issue, then you can help them get a better handle on it."
As the economy takes a toll on the bottom line, a levelheaded approach becomes even more important to success. After all, it's easy for employees and management to feel good when tee sheets are full, the cash register is clanging with retail sales, and the grill is doing a brisk business. But when times get tough and profits grow lean, employees want to know that everything's going to be fine, even if you're not so sure it will be. These moments are when the best managers emerge from the fray because the ability to calm others in the face of adversity is the very essence of leadership.
"Challenging economic times actually offer a better chance to be a good leader than when things are sailing along smoothly," says Smith, who began working at Olde Homestead when he was age 13. "You have to be creative, you have to keep your mind working. When employees see that you aren't sitting still, they're likely to keep thinking, to keep moving forward, too."
Confidence. Understanding. Communication. Opportunity. These are more than just words for true leaders—they're intrinsic values that invariably become operating mantras. Striving to achieve expertise in these areas helps top-tier operators become even more dynamic.
"It's something you work on all the time," Anderson says. "Good leaders are good learners."
Jeff Barr is a Michigan-based freelance writer.